


dyad

by dinosaur12



Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Canon Era, Canonical Character Death, Eventual Smut, F/M, Familial Abuse, Female Reader, Fluff and Smut, Infertility, Julius is the CEO of PDA, Long, Other, POV First Person, Platonic Relationships, Pre-Canon, REALLY long sorry, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 09:54:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 100
Words: 308,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23969437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dinosaur12/pseuds/dinosaur12
Summary: At what she believes to be the end of her life, a mage of the Clover kingdom reflects on the rocky path she's taken to get where she stands today.Once believed to be nothing more than a weak commoner with barely any magic, she proved them all wrong when a mysterious symbol appeared on her forehead, granting her the powers that she sought after for so long. However, this could be a curse rather than a blessing; She is marked for a fate that she is not prepared for. Despite this fact, she isn't alone. The Dyad is made of two parts, after all.// This is set mainly 8 years or so before the main events of Black Clover and mostly centers around an original conflict. That being said, it's going to be really good so please read. //
Relationships: Julius Novachrono/Reader
Comments: 395
Kudos: 357





	1. the girl in my head

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! I got this idea in my head over many brainstorming sessions, and I have it basically all planned out. I hope you will enjoy this story and choose to stick with it until the end!

**Prologue**

My life seems to be in a constant cycle of endings and beginnings. Over and over again, I manage to find a way forward when things seem darkest, and over and over again, I fail, only to be born anew in some way. Part of me wonders if it'll ever end, especially now. I suppose, if it's going to end, now would be a great time. I'm dead, after all.

At least, that's what I assume is happening here. One moment, I'm kicking ass and taking names in the heat of battle, and now... nothing. I don't even remember what I was doing, or who I was fighting. The details of my life were fading away at a frightening speed. Faces, buildings, feelings, they were all flipping by like lightening, causing my eyes to widen. Each one dissolved as quickly as it formed; A flame dancing on my finger tip; the blue Grimoire; my father's magic; my mother's sad eyes; rain; the ocean; white fire moving faster than light; that smile; _his_ smile-

 _Wait! Slow down... I don't want to forget... I don't want to die! Not as soon as everything started to go right.._.

Slowly, a new life started to emerge from the darkness. It was hazy, like a memory long forgotten. Long summer days spent out in the sun. The sweet taste of berries plucked right from the bushes, staining the skin of my pure white palm. Cool water splashing over my face and hair, laughter, smiles...

Death. Despair. Pain. 

_It hurts, it hurts... why would they do this to us... please... don't let it end..._

_Not as soon as everything started to go right..._

With a scream, I open my eyes. My chest is heaving from what felt like a nightmare. The air around my body is cold as I sit up and look around, and my heart falls as I realize that I'm surrounded by absolutely nothing. _So, I_ am _dead_? _Is this place heaven? Maybe purgatory..._ I look down at my hands, which are very much still there. _I still have a body. Despite the situation, I don't think this is death. This is something different._ But what? Was this some kind of spell? Once again, I strain to remember who it was I was fighting when everything fell away. I could vaguely remember faces, but not any killing strike. I wouldn't go down that easily, after all. 

Suddenly, I become aware of soft footsteps coming from behind. I twist around to see the source, my heart thumping. Another person, here? I wasn't alone?

The sight gives me chills. A being stands there, paused at the sound of my stirring. They're tall, thin, completely pale from their hair to their bare feet. Slowly, it turns around, revealing a pair of long, pointed ears, her hair tucked neatly behind them. She has red spiral symbols at the outer corners of each eye, rather than the symbol that adorns my own forehead. It's obvious from first glance that she wasn't human, but that wasn't the part that shocked me. This girl... she looks exactly like me. From her hair, to her eyes, to the shape of her face, and her stance... 

"... You should go back to sleep, human," she finally spoke, her voice soft but still unmistakably mine. "I'll be taking this body, now."

I blink, still stunned to be looking at my long-lost alien twin. Her appearance reminds me of the beings they told us about in the fairy tales, beings who brought forth a demon onto this world. "Y-you... you're an elf?" 

She doesn't respond at first, just narrowing her eyes slightly. "... yes," She finally answers. "Our mana is the same, so I'm being reincarnated. As soon as we reach the city, your soul will pass onto the next. So go back to sleep." She starts to turn around again. "It'll be lonely by yourself."

"Wait!" I yell, somehow finding myself on my feet. "I-I won't let you. I'm not ready to die!"

The elf sighs and peers back at me out of the corner of her eye. "Accept your fate, human. You saw your sin, didn't you?"

That flashback... The pain and despair I felt... that was _Her_ death, wasn't it? She, and the others, they had been betrayed somehow, by someone close to them. Someone they loved...

"I saw your life as well." Her voice pulls me back from my thoughts. "Very interesting... You've climbed so high. You achieved everything you dreamed of." Almost instinctively, I clench my fist at the thought of her invading my mind like that. "You've experienced a fulfilling life. But you'll meet the same fate as the rest of the Clover kingdom." She turns around and starts to walk once again. "Farewell..."

"WAIT!"

This time, she doesn't stop. Before I reach her, she's dissolved into nothingness, and my body is no longer my own. I'm left alone, once again. 

I'm not sure how much time passes. The elf told me to sleep, but I honestly don't feel like doing anything she tells me to do, so I just sit there in silence, slumped over. _How did elves become involved in this, anyway? This was about the Eye of the Midnight Sun, and their leader Licht, right? Was their true purpose to resurrect the Elves all this time? If they bring another Demon to the kingdom, will we be able to stop it?_

Supposedly, I'm about to die, so it's not like I can do anything about a rampaging demon. But, a wizard king defeated the first demon, so our wizard king could just do the same. Something tells me it wasn't that simple, though. With a frustrated groan, I draw my knees up and bury my face in them, reveling in the comfortable darkness while I wait for release from the land between life and death. 

_If this is the end of the cycle... I suppose that's okay. Maybe the elf was right, I did achieve almost everything I wanted to. But was my life fulfilling?_

_It was getting there... it was just getting to the good part._

There's familiar mana in the air here... much, much too familiar. I try not to think about it.

I hear a small sound and look up slightly. There, at my feet, a flower has grown, a cornflower with pretty white petals. I'm not sure how it got its roots into the ground, since there was no ground here, but it brings an unexpected warmth to my heart. _Look at that... I'm getting nostalgic,_ I think to myself before reaching down and plucking it out of the ground. I hold it up to my face, rotating it slowly. Then, my other hand comes up, and I delicately pull one of the petals out. Then another. And another. Eventually, they all lay on the ground around my feet, the empty stem still balanced between my fingers. Empty, small, lifeless. 

Then, something happens that I don't expect. A hand reaches out of the darkness, slowly. I don't move an inch as it approaches me and comes down to gently slip around my own hand, the one holding the stem. I assumed that it was just a figment of imagination, but it _feels real._ The hand has skin, bone, blood, it's alive... as alive as someone could be in this godforsaken place. Gradually, life comes back to the fallen petals, and they float back up to reattach to their stem. Finally, the flower is complete, made whole again by this mysterious yet troublingly familiar magic. 

My hand loosens, allowing the flower to fall into his. My eyes don't leave my feet as he takes it and tucks it behind my ear along with a few strands of my hair. The petals tickle my face a little. He doesn't remove his hand. 

I'm not the type of person who cries a lot. Not only would it show weakness, but it would cause those I lead to despair as well. But now... I can't stop. It's all just too much, and I can't hold a single tear back. I didn't want to die, not now, not this way. But it was becoming clear: Even if I did get saved, somehow, maybe it wouldn't even be worth it.

_"You're not alone. When they save you, the others will be there to help you. Nozel. Charlotte. Yami. Mereoleona."_

"B-but... But you- why are you here-?"

_"Same as you... I'm waiting. I had a plan, but it's taking too long. I'm close to giving up hope that it will work. It was a long shot, anyway..." He sighed softly. "If they can't save you... it'll still be okay. I won't leave without you. We'll go together."_

Together...

I can't bring myself to form words in this moment, despair starting to take over. If this was how the cycle ended, it was a horrible, bitter end. And if the cycle continued, I don't think I can keep up with it any more. 

_Will this be all my life has amounted to? Or will I have to start over with nothing, once again..._


	2. the girl in the woods

**1.**

** _15 years earlier_ **

"So, please! Go out with me!"

I never had a boy talk to me like this before. Especially not this one. He went to the same school as me and the other 11-year-olds in this town, but as far as I knew, he had never talked to me or even looked at me. He was cute, though, his face covered with freckles and his curly brown hair hanging down over his grey eyes. Most boys gave me a wide berth. But here he was, Horatio Chessman, bowing his head and thrusting a fistful of white flowers into my face. Some of the girls around me gasped and giggled behind their hands at the brazen action. I quickly shook off my shock. "Oh... Horatio..." I began, not even knowing how to handle this. My own mother was constantly talking about me getting married, but never about _how_ to go about it. "Um... what do you mean?"

"What do I mean?" Horatio sat up, blinking. "Well, uh..." He glanced over at the group of boys behind him, eating their lunches at their desks. One of them shrugged and gestured at his food. Horatio nodded and turned back to me. "We can have lunch! Out by the river!"

That caught my interest. I loved being out by the river, where the sound of water drowned out everything else. "Hmm... I guess so." I allowed my face to show a small smile, but I was dancing internally. _Finally! Mom's going to be overjoyed!_

We grabbed our lunches and headed out of the worn-down school building. It had been years since its last renovations, and it was starting to show. Our town as dangerously close to both the Forsaken Realm and the border of the Diamond Kingdom, so not much attention was lent to us from the capital. A long time ago, this town had been an important mining spot for the Diamond Kingdom, and was heavily fought after. Nowadays, it seemed like they forgot about us completely. That was probably something to be thankful for. 

"Here it is!" Horatio pointed at a spot where two rocks sat adjacent to each other under a tree. I nodded, approving of the spot, and went to sit down next to him. I balanced my lunch bag on my knees nervously, not sure of what to do next. This was my first date, after all, you can't expect me to be perfect! "So, Horatio..." I gulped nervously. I knew next to nothing about this boy except the fact that his father owned a store somewhere in town. "What type of magic do you use, again?"

Horatio seemed distracted, looking around aimlessly. "... it's gravity magic," he explained. "I can make things float."

 _Gravity magic!_ I thought, feeling my heart skip a beat. That was the most engaging thing he'd said this whole time. "I've never heard of that before, that's unique," I complimented calmly. "What kinds of stuff can you do? Other than make things float, I suppose."

I realized that the boy was still not looking me in the eye... but he was smiling. "... this."

Without warning, he snaps his fingers, and I'm suddenly covered with mud, twigs, and a couple of frogs as they come raining down from up above. I let out a squeal of disgust and jumped up. I couldn't see anything because of the mud in my eyes, but a chorus of laughter quickly faded in all around me. With a falling heart, I wiped my face and looked up to see Horatio and the others, who had been hiding quietly until now, jeering at my appearance. "Look at that! You fell for it, _Candlestick!_ " Horatio crooned. I opened my mouth to shoot back some sort of comeback, something witty that my father could come up with... but nothing could come out. 

It had been weeks since the last incident, so I assumed that the others had just moved onto their next victim. A few children in this village were extraordinarily gifted with magic, and Horatio was apparently among them. That gang would systematically find those with weaker magic and bully them into oblivion. I thought I was already finished with that "gauntlet." I didn't really pay attention to their antics, or really anything that happened at school. I didn't really talk to anyone outside of my parents, aunt, and cousins, preferring to spend my days drawing in my notebook, planning spells for when my magic eventually strengthened. That's how I met my downfall; One of the older boys got a hold of my notebook. 

_"What's this?" he asked, flipping to a page with a giant bird with flaming wings drawn onto it with careful detail. "A field guide?"_

_I shook my head and mumbled something softly._

_"Heh? I didn't catch that?"_

_"... Fire Creation Magic: Flaming Condor."_

_"Fire Creation Magic?! You really think you have enough mana in_ there _to make_ that?" _They all laughed. "Stick to candles for now..._ "

" _Candlestick!"_

"I never understood it," Horatio mused, smirking at me with a hand on his chin. For an 11-year-old, he had an extraordinarily cruel face. "Your father, that tavern owner, has electric magic, and your mom has cloud magic. Neither of them are all that weak..." He sneered. "But _you..."_

I didn't know why, but the way he said _you_ really pissed me off. With a scared yell, I balled up my fist and charged at him, summoning whatever mana I could. Horatio laughed and grabbed my fist. "This isn't hot! This is like a nice, warm rock!"

Without warning, I felt my body lighten and my feet leave the ground. "Ah!" Horatio had used his Gravity magic on me! I started floating higher, and pulled down the hem of my skirt in a desperate attempt to keep them from looking up it. The laughter increased as my discomfort grew. "Let me down!"

"Alright." Horatio snapped his fingers and I fell hard down to the ground. I winced and sat up, feeling tears start to form at the corners of my eyes. "You... you're- y-y-" I clenched my fists. "You're an asshole!"

The others gasped at the use of the curse word, but Horatio didn't even wince. "Maybe," he admitted. "But I'm way more powerful than you. I'm going to be the first magic knight from this town, and there's nothing you can do!" He laughed. "Now... show us your power, _candlestick._ "

I grit my teeth. "N-N-no-"

"Please?" Horatio feigned politeness, but I could hear a deadly bite behind his words, one that sent a shiver up my spine. "If you do it... I won't send you in the air again, okay?" With hesitation, I lifted up my finger and showed them the extent of my powers. 

A single, flickering flame, barely able to stay alive, danced in the air at the tip of my index finger. Horatio bent down and blew on it, killing it instantly. The laughter rose again, more raucous than before. I looked at the ground, willing myself not to cry, not to show weakness in front of them. _I don't get it... we're looked down upon as weak by the nobles, but then go ahead and look down on each other for the same reasons._

"Well, Candlestick, seeya!" To my horror, Horatio snapped his fingers then walked away with his posse, causing me to float up again. With a scream, I managed to grab a branch before I went too high. "Come back! Please! HELP!"

I screamed for a long time, but no one was around to hear me. The riverbank was pretty far from the wood's edge where the school was, so no help came. It would be hours until school ended and my parents noticed my absence. Even then... I doubt my mother would care much. 

_"You hurt me... you made it so I couldn't have any more children. So, to make up for it, you're going to get married and have the children that I couldn't."_

My grip started to loosen in the branch, my fingers getting tired. I tried to summon flames, thinking it could help, but nothing appeared. That small flame from before was the extent of my magic, it seemed. Was my whole life going to be like this? A girl with weak magic, fated to bear children until she died? 

That life... I didn't want to live it. Luckily for me, a new one began a minute later, when _she_ appeared. 

"How did you get up there?"

She was tall, lean, but obviously more muscular than any woman I had ever seen. She was older than me by at least five years, but didn't seem to be quite a woman yet. She had a mane of wild red hair around her head, with two piercing blue eyes among her noble features. She was... smiling at me, revealing one sharpened tooth. She was pretty terrifying, overall, like I had happened upon some wild, woodland beast. 

"I asked you a question!" she barked, causing me to cry out in alarm. "How did you get up there?!"

"G-g-gravity magic!" I spat out, stuttering like a fool. 

The girl arched a brow. "Gravity magic? Yours?"

I shook my head. "N-no, it was a boy," I answered in fear for my very life. "He did this... and left me here."

The girl blinked, then let out a sigh. "You let him do that to you?" I didn't reply, not sure what to say. "Here, grab my hand."

I gladly did so and she pulled me down to the ground. The gravity effect was weakening but still there, so she quickly found a big rock and plunked it into my arms. "Why didn't you fight back?" she asked with her arms crossed, towering above me.

"... I can't fight him," I replied softly, feeling like she was judging me. My eyes flickered down to the Grimoire attached to her hip. It would be four more years of this Hell before I received my own. "I would have just gotten him angry."

The woman scoffed. "So? You have magic, don't you?"

"... yeah." _Barely._

"What kind?" 

_She likes to ask a lot of questions,_ I thought before answering. _What's she doing out here anyway? I don't recognize her from the town._ "Fire... technically."

"Fire?" I felt a blast of heat and looked up to see that one of her fists had been enveloped in flame. My jaw dropped, in awe of its sheer power. I could feel the mana coming off of it in waves. How could we have the same attribute, yet such different results? She couldn't be more than 17, only 6 years older than me. Would I be that good in 6 years? "Now... what about you?"

My face fell. _This... is going to be a disappointment._ With a wince, I held up my hand and lit my "candle" finger. As soon as the flame appeared, the girl laughed heartily. "That's it?"

I glared a little at the insult. "I guess... my dad always tells me that it'll get stronger with time, but my mana is too low-"

"Mana? That stuff is all around you," the girl cut me off. "This forest, this river, it's everywhere. You just have to learn how to use it." 

_Who does she think she is?_ "Use it? How am I supposed to do that?" I asked, honestly confused. The others always taunted me with the difference between their mana and mine, but if I could find a way to increase it...

"Look around you," the girl said, spreading her arms. "This place... nature. The natural mana is overwhelming." She smiled down at me. "Spend enough time here, like I have, and you'll be able to tap into it, and maybe one day control it. Try!"

I blinked. "Er- right now?"

"YES!"

"OKAY!"

I always thought of mana as some sort of 'Juice' that your body used up and took time to recharge. But if it was all around you, and you could use the environment to your advantage... could it really be possible to increase your power?

I closed my eyes and held up my hand, letting the flame on my index finger swell for a moment with magic. Then, I concentrated on spreading it out, envisioning the girl's flaming fist. 

"That's it! Still kinda lame, but it's progress."

I opened my eyes to see four new similar flames on the tips of all my other fingers. Despite it being a small victory, I couldn't help but smile. I was more of a candelabra now rather than a candlestick. "Wow..." I breathed. "You were right!"

"Of course I was," she scoffed. "I am Mereoleona Vermillion, after all."

The name sounded vaguely familiar for a moment... then the realization hit me. 

"AH! You're royalty!!??"

I was instantly on my knees, begging her for forgiveness for acting annoyed, thanking her for saving me, showering her in any praise I could. Getting annoyed with the ramblings, Mereoleona flared her hand up again. "Shut up! It's not that big of a deal. I was trying to help you a little, that's all you need to thank me for." She eyed the rock that I dropped on the ground. "Seems like that asshole's gravity magic wore off..." She sighed. "I can leave now." She pointed at me, putting me on the spot. "Walk with me back to town."

"Yes ma'am!"

I followed closely behind her as we walked. "So... why did you come out here? This is a long way from the castle," I remarked cautiously. Mereoleona was terrifying on her own, but now that I knew she was royalty, I was close to passing out. She wasn't what I expected at all, and part of me wondered if all royals were as untamed as her. 

"I've been traveling for two years, ever since I got my Grimoire." She pat the tome at her hip. "Exploring the strong magic regions. I'm mainly going back to see a relative- she's having a baby soon- but my brother is getting his own Grimiore this week as well, so my family wanted me there." She let out an exasperated sigh. "The fool is going to join the Magic Knights, I already know it."

I blinked, unsure of why she thought that was a bad thing. Anyone in this town would kill to become a magic knight. "...You're not interested in that? Aren't you royalty?"

She glanced down at me with a strange look on her face as I asked the admittedly imprudent question. "How old are you?"

"11."

"Hmm. You're nosy," she comments before looking ahead again. "Sure, that's true... royalty basically get a free pass into the magic knights, but I think it's a dumb system. They're so entrenched in their politics and everything, it makes me sick. That's why I decided to leave to train myself." She punches the air in front of her aimlessly. "But even that's looked down upon; a royal should be good enough with their magic, they shouldn't have to train their body."

So, maybe Mereoleona really was different from the other royals, from the way she talked about them. She obviously had trained her body quite a bit in the last two years. "Everyone in this town dreams of becoming a knight one day... it's weird to think that royals can just walk into it."

Mereoleona hummed in agreement before pausing to look down at me again. "What about you? Is that your dream too?"

The question caught me off-guard. No one had ever really asked me about _my_ plans for my future. Everyone seemed to want to plan it for me. But here she was, Mereoleona, a _royal_ for crying out loud, asking me about my dreams! 

"I-I really don't know," I managed to stutter out. "No one from my town ever has... and Horatio- the boy with gravity magic- he says he wants to be the first one." I cast my eyes down to the path ahead of me once more. The difference between my power and his seemed to be as great as that between me and Mereoleona. 

"In that case..." Mereoleona smirked. "I think you should go for it."

Now _that_ catches me off guard. "Huh? What? _Me?"_ I ask, dumbfounded at what she could possibly be thinking. "Uh, well, um-" My stutter started up again, much to my horror. "You saw my magic back there, didn't you? I couldn't possibly pass the exam with that! A-and Horatio, he would be furious, and anyway my mother wouldn't approve, I can't go to the capital by myself, and _fighting?!_ Ah, I don't k-know if that's for me, and-"

"For the love of God, learn how to speak!" Mereoleona suddenly barks. I squeaked in surprise and quickly fell silent. _She really knows how to command a person with just her voice..._ _even before I knew she was a royal._ "I can see that you've come up with plenty of reasons _not_ to do it... so I'm going to give you one big one in _favor_ of doing it." Suddenly, she grabbed the front of my shirt. I let out a shriek of surprise; I'm not tall for my age, and she's basically a giant, so she easily swept me off of my feet. I barely have time to react before I'm face to face with the lioness.

" _Spite."_

"...Spite?" My voice didn't waver, to my surprise. The entire world around me was so cruel and unfriendly, so I tried to avoid negative things like revenge. Even if the thought was tempting..

Mereoleona grinned at my confused face. "That's right... if that brat won't get out of your hair, just surpass him and become a magic knight. I know that goes against everything I said... but for you, I bet it would be worth it." With a surprising gentleness, she put me back on the ground. I was a bit shaken by this bizarre encounter, but the gears in my head were finally turning. "As for your magic... just remember what I told you. You'll probably get stronger when you get your Grimoire in four years, anyway."

Part of me wanted to object. There were too many factors in my life that made this a _royally_ bad idea. For one, I would probably fail, and earn more ridicule from the town. By extension, my father could lose business if his daughter humiliated herself. On the other hand, if I left town and became a knight, my mother would never forgive me.

"Just think about it. I don't know your life story." She reached out and ruffled the top of my already-disheveled hair.

Not knowing what to say, I bowed slightly at the gesture. There was something motherly about it... something that I dearly missed. For a moment, it really felt like she really believed in me, a poor stranger with barely any magic. And in that moment, I believed in myself. "...Thank you, Lady Mereoleona," I said quietly. "I'll keep that in my heart."

"You better!" Mereoleona let out a bark of laughter. "Is there anything to eat in your town? I could eat a whole hog right now."

Indeed, there was plenty to eat in town. I took her straight to my dad's tavern. Everyone was surprised to see me, of all people, leading a royal into such a small town! No royalty had visited here in many many years, so it was a cause for celebration. The whole town showed up to watch her devour half of our food stores, drink our kegs dry, yell loudly, and then leave. She gave me a wave on the way out late that night. "Thanks for the food! Remember what I said, or else!"

With that, Mereoleona turned and disappeared into the night. That day, I thought we were just a stepping stone for her, a chance meeting that would be forgotten within a few days. But that's not how I _felt._

For the first time, someone other than my father had believed in me. And a royal, at that. The life I seemed to be bound to dissolved away, revealing the beginning of a new path. 

_Maybe she's right... I can get stronger. Once I get my Grimoire, I'm going to the royal capital to take that exam. Maybe I'm doing it out of spite... but I don't want Horatio to be the first magic knight from this town._

_I'm not going to waste the potential she saw in me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo! Congrats for making it through the first two chapters lol. I'm really excited to keep writing this so it'll be updated fairly frequently. I love interacting with my readers so please don't hesitate to comment! See you again soon ;)


	3. the blue grimoire

**2.**

_ **Four Years Later** _

My father was the most genuine, real person I had ever met. Every moment of his life, he was unapologetically himself (or so he seemed to me). Like I mentioned earlier, he was the owner of the tavern in the middle of town, which instantly made him one of the most popular citizens. Add to that his charming personality and witty banter, and that caused people to basically worship him. He would sleep in and come home late at night most days, much to my mother's ire. He always told me of the days when she would work with him on those nights, serving drinks and entertaining the masses, but they were long gone. I had a feeling that I had something to do with that.

He was the only person who didn't blame me for my mother's condition, other than my cousins. Even my aunt Portia took my mother's side, talking to me in only clipped, formal sentences. Because of him and my cousins, life was at least bearable. We all lived together in a house a few minutes away from the tavern, out of the center of town so we could have some peace and quiet every now and then. We were comfortable, if nothing else. My dad made all of our money. I was thankful that the town liked to drink.

"Hey, where are you going?" he asked lazily, coming down the stairs to see me stuffing some stuff into a backpack. "Out in the woods again?"

"Mmhmm." I nodded and slung the bag over my shoulder. "It's getting easier now, to channel my magic." I shot him a grin not too different from his own. "I'll be back in time for the ceremony."

"Ah, right! That's today!" Dad gives me a thumbs up. "Your grimoire... I wonder what it'll look like. I already got you a holder for it, by the way."

My eyes widened a little at the statement. "Dad! You didn't need to, I could have made one myself."

He shakes off my objections in his usual carefree manner. "Don't worry about it, it was pretty cheap." He laid a hand on his own Grimoire, enclosed in its case at its hip. It occurred to me that I had never actually seen him use it. I didn't even know what it looked like. "But... I guess I should bring this up before the ceremony..." A rare serious expression crosses his features. "About your plans to try out for the Magic Knights."

I gulped nervously as he mentioned it. He was the only person I told about my plan, and he had been more than supportive. _"You, a magic knight? That would be amazing! You'd be the first person in our town to become one, too! Ah, I want to go with you and watch! I can't leave the tavern, though... agh, maybe in four years I'll have an assistant to watch it for me."_ He had been so enthusiastic, fueling my own hope for the future. However, the two of us kept it a secret from the others in my family, especially my mother. "What about it?"

He avoided my eyes briefly, revealing only momentarily that something was bothering him. "Well... I know that the next exam is in just a week or so... so you'll have to tell your mother before then. What's your plan there?"

I sighed and gave him a little shrug. "I might not tell her at all, actually. I know she's going to freak out. But, that's not fair to you, you'll have to deal with her when I leave."

He nodded slowly. "Yeah... I'm fine with handling that, though. I've handled her for 15 years, after all, ahaha!" He smiled brightly over at me. "You don't have to tell her, in that case."

"Thank you..." I let out a relieved sigh, glad that I wouldn't have to face her wrath. "Is that all?"

"...No. There's one more thing I wanted to ask." Once again, he averted his eyes from mine. "Are you sure you want to do this... _now?"_

 _Now? What does he mean by that?_ I thought, a little confused. "Like... this year?"

He nodded quickly. "Yeah! I mean, if you leave now, it'll be harder for your mother rather than if you were older. Your magical powers will have time to strengthen... maybe you should plan on taking the exam when you're 18."

"18?" I repeated, a little annoyed that he was bringing this up now, after basically all my plans were already set in stone. "That's three years from now... Mom will have found some guy for me to marry by then," I reminded him, earning a weary nod of agreement. _His suggestion seems just a little_ too _specific... what's going on in his head?_ My father was the most genuine person I knew, but even he seemed to be hiding something. He never talked about his family or his life before coming to this town, just brushing it off with the response: _I was an orphan and a hermit! Then I met your mother and- wowieee! I decided to settle down._ However, I didn't have the fight in me right now to confront him about it. "If I don't do it now... I might never get the chance again. So I'm going to seize this opportunity." My gaze hardened with a determination that wasn't there four years ago.

Dad blinked slowly, then smiled. "Look at you," he spoke softly. "All grown up." He gave me a thumbs up. "Alright, I trust you. You can always try out again if you fail the first time."

I let out a snort of laughter. "No way... mom's never going to let me out of her sight again."

"She will if I distract her." My father winked, earning an eye roll. "Go do your training... we'll be waiting for you to return from the ceremony later!" I smiled and waved goodbye, and he did the same. As he waved, I caught a glimpse of the strange birthmark or scar that had been on the palm of his hand ever since I could remember. It was in the shape of something I had never seen elsewhere: the symbol for infinity.

With that, I headed off out of town. I could stay out in the woods for hours today, since I packed food and water to replenish myself as I trained. _It's like Mereoleona said; most people can get away with just training their magic. I have to train both my magic_ and _my body!_

However, that was easier said than done. I've never been the most athletic person. One time in school, they forced us to run a mile for some sort of physical exam. I passed out about two minutes in, hardly able to circulate my breathing correctly. This problem still plagued me to this day; whenever I worked out for long periods of time, my chest got tight and my breath got caught in my throat. Because of this, I never exercised for more than 10 minutes at a time, which might have been detrimental to my efforts, but I didn't really care. Instead, I focused on honing my magic and tapping into the mana of the natural world.

My favorite place to sit was on that rock by the bank of the river. Despite the traumatic memories from that day four years ago, it was also the place that I met a member of the royal family, and gained a will to succeed. The sound of water helped me slip into a state of mind, a practice called meditation. I would sit cross-legged on that rock, with my eyes closed, for hours and hours on end, until everything else in the world melded together into one, soothing sound. Then, I truly began my training.

White, delicate cornflowers decorated the banks of the river, soaking up the welcome dampness through their roots. Water was the attribute my magic was most vulnerable to, so it felt fitting that this was where I trained. I plucked a flower out of the ground, admiring it for a moment before closing my eyes. Slowly, painfully slowly, I feel the magic start to seep out of my skin, setting the flower aflame. The petals curled up, as if in pain, as they were burnt to a crisp before my very eyes. Good. 

I worked my way up, from flowers, to twigs, then to a branch full of leaves. The flames came streaming out of my palm this time, flying up the skin of the wood and setting the leaves on fire. I stood there, holding that torch for a moment longer, before tossing it into the river to be extinguished. "Not bad!" I complimented myself, stretching my arms above my head. Even though this training was tiring, my magic was slowly ( _very_ slowly) but surely becoming stronger and stronger. _Hopefully the Grimoire will be a catalyst for me... I think I'm making good progress towards my goal, either way._ I would only have a week to learn spells for the exam, otherwise I really didn't stand a chance.

Finally, I decided to stop training. I grabbed my water and chugged it in one go. Fire magic was fun, but it really dried me out! Once it was empty, I let my body collapse onto the cool blanket of flowers below me, relishing the softness. I trailed my hand over the heads of the flowers for a moment before tightening around one more stem, picking it up and holding it above me to block the sun from my eyes. Then, I carefully remove each petal, casting it aside out of sight. Soon, only the stem remains, and I throw that away as well. Maybe it was a bad habit, but plucking petals was calming to me in some weird way.

"Um... hello?"

My body shot up at the voice, startled, but then I spotted my cousin standing a few meters away, looking a little worried. "Lyra? What is it?"

Lyra was a year older than me, the eldest of my cousins. She had cloud magic just like my mother and aunt, but she barely used it. She stared at me for a moment with those wide, creepy eyes. There was always something about her that unnerved me... maybe it's because she looks way more like my mother than my aunt. "I-I didn't want to bother you, but I couldn't help but overhear-"

My heart immediately skipped several beats, and I was instantly on my feet and in her face. "You heard that earlier?" I demanded. She let out a squeak of fear and covered her face. "Ah!"

"Oh, sorry." I stepped back, hands shaking a bit. Maybe that reaction was unwarranted, but I was seriously freaked out in the moment. I had been very careful as to not let my secret out, and my father had as well, but somehow it seemed that Lyra managed to stick her nose into someone else's business once again. "I didn't tell anyone," she assured me. "But... I guess I'm just worried, I don't want you to go."

"Why? It's none of your business," I told her, a little bit colder than I meant to. "It's my decision to make. No one else's."

"But," Lyra looked back up at me. "Your mother-"

"It's not her decision either." I was tired of being told to look after myself, for my mother's sake. As if I was anything more to her than her biggest mistake, and a vessel that she could live vicariously through later. "So.. if you tell _anyone_ else-" I shot her a warning glance. "-You'll regret it."

Lyra cowered for a moment. It always amazed me how meek she was, even though she was older than me. In a way, she reminded me of myself, all those years ago. I felt a little bad for threatening her right then. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have been so rough." I reached out and took her hand gently. "It's very important to me... do you understand?"

The fear in her eyes faded quickly, and she nodded. "Yeah... I just wish you wouldn't." I rolled my eyes a little but couldn't help but smile. Lyra was notoriously bad at keeping secrets, though, so I would have to keep a close eye on her. "I'm going to stay out here for a couple more minutes, then head back to the town... to the tower," I explained, feeling a jolt of excitement in my heart at the thought of the ceremony. "You can come with me, if you want."

"Okay!" Lyra smiles and walks with me back to the riverbank, and we sit there for a while, idly chatting about this and that.

"If you do become a magic knight... I guess I'll take care of your mom," Lyra says softly. "She's always talking about her grandchildren..."

I sighed and closed my eyes at the thought. "She'll get them... eventually," I replied. "It's just that this is something that I can do for myself. Maybe it's selfish, but... I'm tired of living for other people."

"Maybe it's okay to be selfish sometimes..." Lyra adds, more to herself than to me.

Finally, it's time. I quickly change out of my ashy clothes, and Lyra and I run off to the Grimoire Tower at the center of town. _This could be the second most important day of my life,_ I thought to myself as I reached the doorway. A few other people my age were mingling outside, a little nervous to enter. _But that's a good thing. This is the beginning of yet a new chapter for me._ I turned around and flashed a confident smile at Lyra. "I'll be right out! Don't run off!" She nodded eagerly, giving me a thumbs up, definitely a habit she learned from my dad. With that, I turned around and entered the tower.

It looked even bigger from the inside, 'towering' far above our heads. The walls were crammed to the brim with books, the Grimoires that we were all so eager to receive. Spiral staircases lined the edges, climbing up in the heavens. A podium was placed at the base of these stairs, and an old man sat at it, looking like he was half asleep. _That must be the tower keeper... amazing! I wonder how many spells he has, at that age?_

Finally, everyone is inside, and it's time to start. I caught sight of Horatio nearby, standing within his group of friends. I frowned to myself but didn't move to approach him, knowing that it would probably just cause me more trouble. The old man yawns and sits up, still barely awake. "I see... you're all... here..." he mumbles, barely audible even with the help of an amplification spell. "It's time for you... to receive..." His voice trails off and he doesn't even finish his sentence. With that anticlimactic moment, he raises his arms, and the bookshelves begin to glow. One by one, Grimoires started to float down to our outstretched hands, greeted by a chorus of gasps among other reactions. "Look! Mine's really big!"

"Why is mine so flat? It's like a place mat!"

"Whoa! Horatio!"

I looked over at the voices to see a sizable, purple grimoire with strange etchings all over it descend into Horatio's hands. Emblazoned on the cover was the standard Clover, burned deep into the leather. Admittedly... it looked really cool. _But he's a gravity magic user, and I use flames! My Grimoire's_ got _to look cooler than his!_

As soon as I think that, a book drops out of the sky and hits me right in the head. "Ow!"

A couple people laugh at my inadequacy, but I ignored them to pick up the Grimoire that I assume is mine, even though I didn't receive it in the most... graceful way. I've always been kind of clumsy, so it's oddly fitting I suppose. 

Well, I hoped for something better. It's about half the size of Horatio's, but still just about as thick. In fact, the size, shape, and the way it feels in my hand is oddly reminiscent of the spell ideas notebook I kept when I was younger. It felt... familiar, like I had seen it before, and that was comforting. What _wasn't_ comforting, however, was the color. 

My Grimoire, for some unexplainable reason, was bright blue. Blue... BLUE?! I was a flame magic user, for crying out loud?! Everything else about the book felt right, but BlUE?!

Unfortunately for me, I wasn't the only one who noticed the problem. "Oi, Candlestick!" I winced at the familiar nickname and turned to face Horatio and his posse. Horatio had grown tall and wide in the last four years, but his freckled face held the same childish cruelty. "What's with that Grimoire? I thought you had fire magic?" He grinned a little, reaching out to touch it. Instinctively, I pull it away from his grasp, and he luckily doesn't pursue the movement. "Hmm. I guess..." He takes a moment to think of an insult that will really sting. "I guess your magic's so weak, the grimoire couldn't figure out your attribute so it chose one randomly!"

He and his friends laughed at the subpar joke as they walked away, leaving me alone to feel disheartened. _Well... who cares what they say? Who cares if this damn thing is blue... I'll make it work, for the sake of my goal._

I hurried home alongside Lyra, who was entranced by the Grimoire. "It's pretty..." Then she frowned. "But why is it blue?"

"Your guess is as good as mine!"

Of course, my father is overjoyed from the moment he lays eyes on the thing. "Holy cow! It's a little smaller than I imagined, but it's still going to fit in the holder I got!" Oddly enough, he doesn't comment on the strange color choice. He keeps gushing over it, and I hardly noticed my mother come down the stairs for the first time that day. She quickly spots the two of us geeking out over the Grimoire while Lyra giggled to herself in the background. For a moment, a true smile graced my mother's face, before fading away. She remembered what I did to her.

"Open it! Open it!" My dad chants. "I want to see... your first spell!" 

I totally forgot about that part of this whole thing. Without another moment of hesitation, I let my Grimoire float open, the pages flipping by quickly. Finally, it stops, and words appear scrawled onto the paper... my first spell.

Taking a deep breath, I hold up my hand. "Flame Creation magic... Flaming Talons!"

It's slow, but it happens all the same: three long claws suddenly spring out of the ball of flame around my left hand, looking sharp even though they were made out of the fire. My dad let out a low whistle. "Whoa..."

"Hey, maybe don't do that inside?" We all turn to see my mother standing there, her face as blank and joyless as usual. The happy atmosphere immediately shrinks into nothing at her presence. _Is it possible to have depression magic?_ "I don't want you burning down the house!"

She has a point, so I quickly retract the spell and close my Grimoire. Astoundingly, it seems like it did amplify my magic, although I realized it wasn't by much. The claws formed by Flaming Talons didn't seem to be much stronger than my usual flames. That being said, I still had a week to try everything out before I snuck away to the capital.

_Sneak away..._

Strangely, the thought filled me with a strange exhilaration. Doing something that I wasn't supposed to do, right under my mother's nose... it was nothing short of thrilling. I had never done anything like this in my life! And now that Lyra knew about it, that risk was heightened. _I need to be careful... this can all end in an instant if I get too cocky._

The rest of the day went by fairly quickly. The seven of us (mom, dad, Portia, Lyra and the other two cousins, and me) sat down for dinner. My heart swelled with pride as the conversation turned to the Grimoire I received. My dad was still gushing about it. "I can't wait to tell the guys at the tavern!" he managed to say between large bites of food. "We've got ourselves a little fire mage in the family!"

"That's so cool!" one of my little cousins piped up. "Are you going to become a Magic Knight?"

I freeze, my fork on its way to my open mouth. Lyra and my father do as well, but for a shorter time. My mother's eyes never left my face.

"Of course not," I finally answered, my heart heavy from the lie. "The test is in just a week, after all." I smiled and finished my bite of food. My mom was still watching me with her eyes narrowed. "I'm not that good with magic, anyway." 

"... seriously though, flame magic? How unsophisticated." Aunt Portia finally decided to throw her "much-valued" opinion into the mix. "You won't have any reason to fight while you live here."

"Hmm," My mother hums her agreement. "Although, it could still come in handy." She smiles, but it doesn't reach her eyes. "You could probably form little animals out of flame one day. Your children will love it."

_Your children._

The phrase echoes meaninglessly through my head, but I do my best to ignore the swelling anger inside me. "...yeah." I quickly occupy my mouth with more food so I could avoid talking to her again. Eventually, the conversation moved on to something else, but I was left behind with a distinct bitter flavor in my mouth.

My mother always dreamed of having a big family one day. I was supposed to be the start of that family. From what my dad told me, he had never seen my mom happier than the day I was born. _"A girl... a beautiful baby girl. She's going to be such a good big sister... I love her with every part of my being."_

But things went sour after that. No doctor had been able to determine the cause, but my mother was never able to carry another baby to term again. She tried and tried, for years. At first, she still smiled, still treated me like I was a gift. But with each miscarriage, with each failure... that motherly love dissolved away into just a husk of a memory.

She blamed me. I knew she did. And everyone else blamed me for making _her_ blame me and become sad. At first, I thought that all I could do was follow her dream myself, become a mother and give her all the children that she deserved. But things changed... I could see now that it was wrong, the way I had been treated all these years. I needed my _own_ dream if I was ever going to feel any happiness in this life. 

_Then why do I still feel guilty?_

That worry played over and over again as I drifted off to sleep that night, my fingers aimlessly tracing over the clover emblem pressed into the leather of my Grimoire. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This week: "Author can't decide if she wants to write in past or present tense"  
> Next week...: who knows?
> 
> Anyway hope you're enjoying this, please comment! I'd love to know your thoughts :) More action starting soon.


	4. the long ride to the capital

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo about halfway through this chapter, I decided to write in present tense rather than past bc it felt more natural, sorry if the transition is jarring! It'll be the same for now on and hopefully flow better. Thanks!

**3.**

_"Bow before my might! It is I, the Wizard King!"_

_Horatio threw his arms up, causing the rocks he touched to float into the air. The other kids oohed and ahhed at the demonstration of his magic, eyes blown wide as they followed the constellation of pebbles. We were all playing together in the woods that day, pretending that we were in the Royal Capital. "You, my servant," he barked as he pointed right at me. I looked around, not sure what to say. "Bring me my magic staff!"_

_I couldn't help but scoff. "Horatio, the Wizard King doesn't need a staff, he can channel his power well enough on his own," I told him. "Also-" I glared up at him. "Why do_ I _have to be the servant?"_

 _Horatio's eyes narrowed at my "defiance," before snapping his fingers. One of the smaller rocks fell down and bonked me right in the head, causing me to yelp in pain. "I said, get me my staff,_ Candlestick." _The other children laughed as I quickly scrambled to go find a suitable stick, wanting to avoid Horatio's malice more than anything else._

Back then, there wasn't much I could do. Sure, I had my goal in mind already, but didn't have the power to back it up. The week I spent training with my Gimoire was the most powerful I'd ever been up to that point, but something bothered me in the back of my mind, becoming more and more clear as the week went on. _Even with this Grimoire, I can only seem to unlock one spell. Is this going to be enough to pass the exam?_

My doubts grew louder as I trained throughout the week, and part of me considered giving up. I was sure I could have a good life in this town with my parents, but the longing for something more eventually overtook that. My father, the most important person in my life, had faith in me, and that was the only power I needed. _It doesn't matter if I have just one spell... I'll use it to its full potential and pass the test! I can figure other spells out later._

There were nine Magic Knight squads in the kingdom, lead by the powerful captains. I had never actually seen a magic knight, since our town was so off the beaten path (other than Mereoleona, although she wasn't a knight, technically). The most prestigious squad was the Grey Deer, followed closely by the Silver Eagles. _Silver and Grey... couldn't they be a bit more creative?_

The squad that really caught my attention were the Crimson Lion Kings. From what I'd heard, they were traditionally lead by a member of the Vermillion family... Mereoleona's family. If the rest of her family was anything close to her personality, that squad was probably full of fiery, brave individuals. _That's how I want to be... confident, brave, and capable. I bet hanging around them would force me to be like that._ I started to get a little excited by that thought the night I was supposed to leave, but I had to swallow it so my mother wouldn't suspect anything. Dinner went by like it always did, with my mother and aunt dominating the conversation with some subject or another. I ate in silence, exchanging glances with my father every now and then. Lyra wasn't looking me in the eye at all; luckily she hadn't divulged my secret yet. 

Finally, my mother went to bed, as did my aunt and younger cousins. Now that they were gone, my father helped me pack while Lyra disappeared into our shared room. "I'm going to be out late at the Tavern," my father said as he wrapped up some bread for me to eat on the journey. "I'll tell your mother that you left sometime in the afternoon, when she notices that you haven't come home from town." I nodded along with his plan, pulling a travelling cloak over my shoulders. "She won't notice that the broom is gone, she doesn't leave the house." He gave me a dubious look. "I know you've been practicing... but are you sure you can handle the journey? It's a long, long way."

"Yes, yes," I dismissed his worry with a wave of my hand. "It's not _that_ far, I'll be there by noon tomorrow."

"Right... if you say so." He gave me a playful smirk and tossed me my bag. "There's enough money in there for two nights at an inn, plus food. The test is the day after tomorrow, so I want you to get a good night's rest." His eyes crinkled a little as the smirk faded into a genuinely proud smile. "If you have to come back... you can always try again in three years."

 _There it is again... why three years?_ I opened my mouth to ask what exactly he was trying to say, when the door to the bedrooms suddenly opened. We both jumped in surprise, expecting to see my mother, but Lyra was the one standing there. I frowned, realizing that she was dressed for travel. "Lyra? What are you doing?"

She took a deep breath. "I-I'm coming with you."

"What?" I reminded myself to stay quiet even though I was a little shocked. "Lyra, you've never been outside this town! What brought this on?"

"I just... I want to look after you," she answered. "I know you like to be independent, but you're like a little sister to me. If anything happened to you, I would feel so guilty... for your mother's sake, and for you." She glanced over at my father. "But... also..." Her worried face melts into a sweet smile. "I want to be there when you get chosen by a magic knight squad!"

Out of everything she'd said, that last part caught me off guard the most. I blinked, staring at her incredulously for a moment. 

"...Dad, the broom holds two people, right?"

"Yeah."

I smiled at last, warmth filling my heart. _Lyra... maybe you aren't as meek as I thought. You actually believe in me._ "Of course you can come. I'd get lonely by myself anyway." She mirrored my grin, relieved that I agreed. I was surprised that, over the course if the week, she had somehow come over to my side. We'd barely talked about my plans since I got my Grimoire, and yet, she decided to support me. Meek, quiet Lyra... she wanted me to ne a Magic Knight. 

"Plus, you'll be able to bring the broom back!" my dad added, walking over to the pair of us and clapping us both on the shoulders. "Thise things cost a fortune."

Both Lyra and I giggled at that, and I felt her squeeze my hand. "I'll make sure she doesn't get arrested or anything," Lyra teased me, causing my father to chuckle. "We better get going."

"Right."

We followed my father out to the back of the house, and he pulled the broom out of the shed, and handed it to me. "Don't fly to fast, I don't want to hear about my daughter falling to her death or anything," he warned us. I nodded, taking a breath as I held the broom in my hand. _This is it... we're really leaving!_ I looked up at him one last time. "Dad... thanks for everything." I smiled. "I wouldn't have courage to do this without you."

"Don't mention it... this is what families are supposed to do, right?" He told me, reaching out and ruffling my hair. I caught a glimpse of the strange mark on his left hand as he did so. "I'll be waiting for a letter... or for your return." He stepped back, waving. "Now, get out of here!"

I quickly obeyed, swinging a leg over the broom to sit down. Lyra opted to take a more ladylike position in saddleside, quickly snaking her arms around my waist to hold on. With one last wave to my father, I powered up the broom and shot off into the night sky. It was a clear night, thankfully, and you could see all the stars and constellations clearly. The moon was waning, but still large enough to illuminate the landscape underneath us. 

We fly slowly, just as my father suggested. The wind blew through my hair lightly, making it float back into Lyra's face. She didn't complain, just sighed and leaned forward, burying her face between my shoulders. She ended up falling half-asleep in that position, her hands still gripping me tightly as to not fall off. I was a little wary of her presence at first, but now it was comforting. Not only did I have the support of two (two!!) members of my family, but one of them would be by my side, through good and bad. No matter what happened in the coming days, that fact warmed my heart. 

Eventually, the sun came up, and Lyra yawned, signifying her return to consciousness. "Are we there yet?" she asked drowsily, blinking in the sunlight. 

I shook my head. "Not quite... we'll be there by noon." I pointed forward at the giant hill in the distance, rising out of the lowlands below. We couldn't see it clearly yet, but I knew that the castle and capital were on top of it somewhere. "Keep your eyes on that. That's our destination."

 _I still can't believe this is happening!_ I thought, starting to get excited again. _Who know that I of all people would be heading to the Royal capital today? To get to travel this far is just the beginning... when I'm a magic knight, I'm sure I'll get to go far and wide._

"Are you tired? I can drive if you want," Lyra asked me, looking down over the side at the ground far below. 

"I'm not tired, don't worry." It's only partly true, but I was much to hyped up to care about a little exhaustion. I could go to bed early that night, anyway. "I just need to focus."

Lyra nodded. "Right, sorry."

"It's fine."

The countryside below eventually gives way to more towns, then a sprawling city. As we climb the mountain, the castle finally comes into view and my breath catches in my throat. "Wow..." I breathe, not able to take my eyes off of it. "We're actually here..."

Lyra nods, equally entranced. "Here, we should probably go down." She points at the large wall surrounding the capital. "They have a magical barrier up, the entrance is down that way."

"Right!" I descended down to the ground, a little more jerky than I intended. We hit the ground a little hard, and Lyra lets out a squeak of dismay. "Be careful! You could have broken my legs!"

"But... I didn't, did I?" I shoot her a feisty grin before picking up the broom and slinging it over my shoulder for transport. We're standing on the edge of one of the roads heading through the capital's walls. "Let's go in."

The guards scan our Grimoires briefly at the entrance before letting us pass through the gates. "Are you two here for the Exam tomorrow?" the guard asks as he holds his hand up to the cover of the book. It glows briefly as he scans it. I'm not exactly sure what information they gleam from this but it must be something important.

"She is! I'm just going to watch!" Lyra replies brightly, holding her own Grimoire up as well. 

"Hmm, interesting! Well," He shoots me a small smile. "Good luck!"

"Thank you!"

I've never seen more people in one place in my life. Our small town only had about 300 or so people in it, but the capital was basically bursting with life. Vendors, musicians, noblemen and commoners all mixed together... the vibrant colors were a world away from our drab little mining town. "Look! Look!" Lyra catches my attention and points excitedly at a storefront. "So pretty!" She basically has stars in her eyes as we walk up to examine the many precious stones that are on display. _Gems, Jewels, and Precious metals! Perfect for enhancing your magical abilities! Embed them in a bracelet, ring, or necklace! Only-_

"Ten THOUSAND yuls??!?!" I practically screamed. I grab Lyra's hand and drag her away from that cursed store as quickly as possible. "I don't even want to think about that much money!"

Lyra is clearly disappointed but doesn't resist. "They were so... shiny!" She looks like she's going to cry. 

"Come on, we can dig those out of the mines back home, anyway," I remind her as we weave through the crowd. "Come on... let's find an inn and get some dinner." My stomach rumbles in agreement, eager to start chowing down on something. 

We eventually find a suitable inn, one that both serves food and sells rooms at night. I order something randomly off of the menu, not in the mood to be picky right now. Lyra takes more time in deciding before we are left alone with some drinks. I sniff the mug carefully. "What is this stuff? It smells weird." I hold it up to my lips for a brief taste, and my nose immediately wrinkles. "Ugh! It tastes weird, too!"

Lyra takes a sip and quickly sets it down. "It's alcohol," she informs me, a sour expression on her face. "Seriously, do they think we're old enough for this?"

My dad worked at a tavern, but he never let me anywhere near the kegs of alcohol. However, I was always curious to try it, especially since he claimed to brew "the best goddamned whiskey in the goddamned kingdom!" But now was my chance. _Sorry, dad... mom's not the only person I'm going to defy!_ I smile mischievously and force down a large gulp of the stuff, much to Lyra's shock. It fizzes in my mouth and burns my throat on the way down... but once it's in my stomach, it feels pleasantly warm. "It's not actually that bad!"

Lyra rolls her eyes. "You're mother better not hear about this... she'll kill me if she finds out I let you drink! Your father, too." It was the one thing he was strict about.

"They won't find out... unless you tell them." I shoot her a playful glare before turning to the waitress, who has our food. "Enjoy!" 

One my plate is a kind of meat I've never seen before. We mostly keep turkeys in our town, but this is different. Instead of a leg with a big ol' bone in it, this meat is filleted nicely and a dark brown color. I pick at it with my fork for a moment. "What the heck is this supposed to be?"

Lyra, meanwhile, has stars in her eyes. "Beef!" She flips her knife around in her hand with surprising nimbleness before digging into the slab of meat. "They're rich enough to serve beef around here? That's amazing!" she mumbles through her mouthful. _Beef... that's the stuff that comes from cows, right?_ I quickly take a bite and realize why she's so excited: it's delicious! A little well done, but delicious. "Look at us... drinking alcohol and eating beef in the capital!" I gloat through my own mouthful.

"Ah, _you're_ the one drinking here," Lyra reminds me, determined to remain the responsible one. "I'm supposed to keep you from getting into trouble." She eyes me as I take another long drink. "You should probably slow down, you're only 15 after all."

"Hmm..." She has a point. Even though I feel like a woman, I probably shouldn't overdo it with the adult stuff. Plus, I need to keep my wits about me for the exam tomorrow. "Fine, fine, I'll order some water to dilute it."

"... good." Lyra sighs in relief and sits back in her chair. 

"... What the Hell are _you_ doing here?"

Uh oh, I know that voice. It was only a matter of time before I ran into him, but I thought I could avoid this meeting until tomorrow at least. Alas, it was not to be, and Horatio Chessman is standing there in all of his indignant glory. His freckled visage glares down at me. "Oh! Hello there," I greet him, trying to stay friendly for the time being. My head has gone a little soft from the drink as well. "Ready for tomorrow?"

Horatio glares and suddenly slams his fist on the table. He seems genuinely shocked and angered to see me, the subject of his torment for YEARS, here in the capital. "You didn't answer my question," he seethed. The loud action has caught the attention of some of the other patrons. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought that was fairly obvious... I'm here to cheer you on tomorrow!" I tell him, hiding my smirk behind the mug as I take another drink. 

Horatio's angry expression falters into one of surprise. "Really?" he asks, his tone softer.

I can't take it anymore. I set down my mug and dissolved into a fit of belly-laughter. Maybe it's the drink, but his obliviousness is the funniest thing I've ever encountered, causing my eyes to water and my chest to hurt. Lyra looks a little disturbed at the outburst. "No, stupid! Why do you think I'm here? To take the exam!" I finally straighten up and look him in the eye. His face is getting redder and redder by the minute. "...you can't be serious," he growls, his temper flaring up once more. "You?! Take the exam? When you have no chance of winning?" He splutters angrily, completely incredulous. "What's even the point of that?"

His words start to make me angry as well. "I'll never know if I don't try," I shoot back, crossing my arms. Despite my anger, another grin crosses my face. "I think you're just _scared_ that I'm going to beat you to it."

That's the last straw for Horatio. It takes me a moment to realize that he's grabbed me by the collar and is now right in my face. "Take that back!" he yells, his insecurity finally starting to show in his voice. 

"Ah! Calm down!" I managed to wrench his hands off of my shirt and brush off the spot before taking a step back away from him. He's like a furious steer, about to charge. "I meant nothing by it. Good luck tomorrow, is what I meant to say!" I hold my hands up sheepishly, my head spinning a little after being forced to my feet so quickly. "Why don't we call it a night?"

He doesn't answer right away, his back turned to me. Plenty of the inn is watching us curiously now.

"I mean... you can't expect me to just stay in your shadow forever," I add, scratching the back of my neck. I'm not sure where all this confidence was coming from because I would never think of talking to him so casually. I remember that day long ago, when he proclaimed himself the Wizard King. _"You! My servant!"_ he had called me. That girl was long gone... I wouldn't be a servant any more. "But I'm sure you'll do great. So... good luck." For once, I mean it.

Horatio still doesn't answer. I peer over at him curiously, then blink. The scene comes back into focus... and I realize that he's pulled out his Grimoire. _U_ _h oh._

He whips around, eyes still shrunken in anger. "I won't let you get away with insulting me, Candlestick!" he spits. He flicks his hand over his Grimoire, flipping through the many pages. "Gravity Magic: Center Shift!"

I briefly consider defending myself with my flame magic, but I'm in a packed _wooden_ building, with lots of alcohol everywhere to boot. I couldn't use magic without hurting someone, so I have no choice but to be hit by his spell. "Ah!" The entire inn screams as I go flying, pulled against the opposite wall. It was like a magnet, and I was a iron shard. I was pinned there, immobilized. I desperately tried to free myself, but it was no use, the gravity holding me there was too strong. Right when Horatio is about to cast another spell, the bartender decides to finally cut in.

"Please! You two are going to destroy our place, ahah," the old man cuts in nervously. Horatio pauses but still looks extremely pissed off. "Here... this is on the house." The bartender produces a strange green drink in a delicate looking glass. Horatio grumbles but accepts the drink none the less. After taking a sip, he frowns. Then, he drinks the rest and hands the glass back to the bartender. "Fine..." The gravity releases and I fall to the ground. My heart is pounding quickly and I'm grateful when Lyra runs to my side to help me up. My balance has been thrown off completely. "If you so much as speak to me again, I'm sending you sky high," Horatio threatens, putting his Grimoire away.

I roll my eyes despite my quickly-forming headache. "Yeah? I'll burn your-"

Before I can finish, the bartender has produced another drink out of midair and hands it to me. Falling silent, I try it. _It's good._ Any aggression I felt quickly fades away.

"If you two are so desperate to fight... why don't you challenge each other at the exam tomorrow?" the bartender suggests.

Horatio glowers but eventually nods. "... good idea," he admits. He throws his cloak over his shoulder dramatically before moving to leave the end. He passes us by on the way out and pauses. "You... You won't get into a single squad tomorrow," he says without looking me in the eye. "You can watch from the sidelines as I get into every _single one._ "

I raised an eyebrow but said nothing, not feeling like provoking him again. Without another word, Horatio storms out onto the darkening streets.

"Are you alright?" Lyra asks me, holding me up by the waist. "That was scary..." It occurs to me that she did promise to keep me safe, while I couldn't keep myself out of trouble for thirty minutes. "Come on, let's go to our room."

"...okay." I sigh and look back at the bartender. "Can I have another one of those drinks?"

"Absolutely NOT!" Lyra snaps, pulling me away and out of the room, leaving a small bag of yuls behind for the meal. "You've caused enough trouble already... seriously, you're just like your dad."

The inn returns to normal after we leave, everyone chatting about the strange occurrence. "We have some fiery youngsters this time around! I wonder if either of them will make it into a squad tomorrow?"

"Only time will tell."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter... the exam! Then things are going to get interesting :)
> 
> I hope you like this so far, I would love some comments! :)


	5. the magic knights exam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Fuegoleon/Mereoleona's father is not mentioned by name anywhere, so I came up with a name myself (since he is the current captain of the Crimson Lions in this fic). I named him Fernanleon, because "Fernan" means "brave protector," which I thought was fitting for a Vermillion.
> 
> 2\. Baby William :)

**4.**

"Welcome to the Magic Knights exam! The exam will begin as soon as our captains arrive, so sit tight for now."

I tap my foot impatiently as the announcer finishes his statement, my eyes darting around the arena. I'm eager to get this show on the road, or for something to happen that calms my nerves. Because I am _nervous..._ more so than I'd ever been in my life. There's about 200 people milling around the area, looking either bored or just as nervous as I was. I haven't seen Horatio around yet, but perhaps that's a good thing. He would definitely worsen the situation, especially since he wanted to challenge me later. 

A small crowd of friends and family have gathered in the audience area up above, looking down at the examinees. It doesn't take long for me to spot Lyra sitting by herself. I wave up at her and she waves back immediately, excitedly beaming. I don't know whether I should be more or less nervous about her being here to watch me, but for now it comforts me enough to start examining my fellow examinees. 

Most of them are 15 or 16, with a few older people mixed in. Everyone seems to be at least a commoner, although a few stand out as obvious peasants. Only a few nobles, dressed much nicer and hanging out together in a posse, have shown up to take the exam, probably because most of them get a free pass into a squad. It seems a little unfair, but what can you do? Everyone seems to be fairly normal, except for one boy who catches my eye. He looks to be my age, and he's wearing a very colorful and kind of tacky-looking mask. _I wonder what that could be about?_

"They're here! Look!"

We all looked up to the podium and see the nine Magic Knights Squad captains approach the overlook. Even from this far away, I can't help but be in awe. These nine captains were definitely the most powerful people I'd seen in my entire life. Their pose, their expressions, the very atmosphere around them... it oozed with importance. Seeing them up there, lined up in one place, made me feel very, very insignificant. 

People start to gasp and whisper among themselves at the sight of the captains. _"Look! That's Fernanleon Vermillion, the Crimson Lion captain!"_ I squint up at the older man, realizing that he looks a lot like Mereoleona. _"He's royalty!"_

_"So is the captain of the Silver Eagles, that's the house of Silva. His son's the one who uses mercury magic!"_

_"Seriously? That's awesome!"_

_"And that guy in the middle... that's the captain of the Grey Deer, Julius Novachrono!"_

_"He's going to be the next Wizard King!"_

Our current Wizard King was the 27th person to hold the title. I've never seen the guy, but I heard that he's getting pretty old. I guess it would make sense for the captain of the best squad to take over the title next. Captain Julius is a lot less intimidating than you would imagine. He actually looks pretty friendly, and I can see a twinkle in his eye from all the way down here. It crosses my mind that, even if I don't get chosen today, I can still go home and tell everyone that I've seen the Wizard King.

The captains sit down, and a bunch of assistants run out holding armfuls of brooms. "The first test is just to see your magical capabilities! Get on this broom and fly around."

 _Now, this is something I can do!_ I think happily, gladly taking the broom and mounting it. I rise into the air with the other examinees, some of which are really struggling. At least I was better than them at something. Now in the air, I spot Horatio at last as he starts to zip around the others as if they are obstacles. _Show off!_ It starts to piss me off but I don't move to challenge him. I need to conserve energy for the other five tests: magic power, magic control, magic creation, magic evolution, and then the 1-on-1 at the very end. I'm definitely most nervous for the 1-on-1 fight.

The magical power test goes surprisingly well. By the time I got my Grimoire, I was already able to generate small blasts of flame from my palms, so I leave a satisfying scorch-mark on the wooden target that the attendants set up for me. I couldn't help but notice that Horatio had somehow managed to completely crumple his target under the heavy force of gravity. 

Next was the magic creation test. We were told to channel our magic into some kind of physical form of our choosing. I can't help but remember my mother's words from last week, about how I could one day create little fire animals to entertain my children. The thought makes me so mad that I'm unable to focus and produce anything worthwhile. The magic control test goes just about as well. Instead of the large, stationary wooden targets from before, flimsy paper targets are dropped down on us from the sky. I'm only able to hit one with my flames, the other ones getting blown away by the wind.

Then, magic evolution. "Take this seed;" One of the attendant mages held up his own. "-And make something grow from it."

Make something grow? How was that supposed to work? I attempt to channel mana into the seed in my palm. For a moment, it starts to shake from the heat. I look around and see some of the others have created a spindly, plant-like growth with their mana, emanating from the seed. _So, that's what I'm supposed to do?_ I direct my attention back to my seed and concentrate. My hand grows hotter and hotter. _Come on... so close..._

_POP!_

The seed splits open, expanding its contents. No mana tree for me, I guess. "You destroyed it!" I turn to see Horatio smirking at me, cradling his own little tree in his hand.

I shook my head. "It did exactly what I wanted it to do... I evolved it into-" I thought for a moment, then smiled proudly as I thought of a punchline. "Popcorn!"

Horatio scowls at my joke, but a few of the other examinees around us actually laugh. I hear a laugh from up in the captain's area as well. _At least I accomplished_ something _today!_

Finally, it's time for the 1-on-1 test. "Choose a partner! Remember, these can make or break your rankings!" Captain Julius calls down to us from his perch.

 _I've already had my partner chosen for me,_ I think to myself, scanning the crowd and finding Horatio's brown curls a few meters away. I push through the others to reach his side, already planning a confident speech in my head. "Horatio, I hope you haven't changed your mind! Because..." My voice trails off when he and the boy standing next to him turn to glare at me. "As if I would want to be seen with you," he hisses cruelly. I glance between the two of them, quickly picking up on the fact that I was definitely not wanted. "Oh... okay." It wasn't like he was going back on a promise or anything, but I still feel a bit disappointed. Swallowing my pride, I turn away and attempt to find another partner.

Unfortunately, in the time I spent looking for Horatio, everyone had already buddied-up. I'm about to give up rather than make a scene when I feel someone tug at my sleeve gently. "Do you need a partner?"

I turned around to see the masked boy from earlier smiling at me, his purple eyes glinting through the holes in the mask. "Oh, yeah, sure!" I agreed, shaking off my shock that this guy actually wanted to talk to me and holding out my hand. "Nice to meet you... the person I was going to partner with kind of blew me off."

"That's a shame." The boy gratefully accepts the handshake. "I'm William. I think people are avoiding me because of this!" He points at his mask and lets out a nervous chuckle. "Come on... let's go watch a few matches."

The pair of us move to the sidelines, which is thankfully shaded, to watch the first few pairs go head to head. It amazes me how many different types of magic there are out there. In my little town, I didn't get to see many magic displays. My own father never even used his Grimoire, in my memory at least. Plus, more than half of my family has cloud magic, so the variety I see during this exam is almost refreshing. 

Some of the matches last a long time, but others are over in one hit. A lot of the peasants get knocked out fairly easily, unfortunately. Their magic was just no match for that of the powerful noble families. I glance over at the partner standing next to me. William is watching the matches carefully, as if he's analyzing their every move. Part of me wants to ask him what type of magic he has, since I hadn't been paying attention before, but that probably wasn't a good thing to ask right before we fought each other! I would find out soon, anyway.

Horatio and his partner are up next. I glanced over at William. "We can go next if you want," I tell him quietly. He nods and raises his hand, catching the attention of one of the attendant mages. They give us a nod before turning back to the match at hand. Horatio vs. Aldis! Begin!"

Aldis, the boy who looks like he could be a noble, has a confident expression on his face. "You made a mistake teaming up with me, commoner!" he gloats, flipping through his Grimoire before charging at Horatio. "Gem Magic: Shower of Beauty!" I can't help but gasp in awe as a cloud of beautifully sparkling jewels suddenly materialize above Aldis's head, before they all shatter into shards and start shooting at Horatio. Horatio doesn't move; he just raises his hand, and the shards are slammed down into the ground, carving little holes. He changed their gravity!

"He did that... without even touching them?" William mutters just loud enough for me to hear. He's obviously just as shocked as I am at Horatio's power. 

Horatio isn't done yet. Aldis falters in his approach, but quickly summons another Shower of Beauty. This time, the Shower's Gravity is set on Aldis, and they all go flying back to their creator. Aldis yells, but it's too late; he falls to the ground, defeated by his own spell. Horatio grins and closes his Grimoire, satisfied with his performance.

 _Well... I'm glad I didn't fight him!_ I think to myself before I hear William calling my name. "Our turn!"

William seems like a nice guy, but I don't expect him to hold back during our fight. Giving him a thumbs up, I walk to the opposite end of the arena and stretch my arms. I glance up at the captain's platform to find about half of them staring at me intensely. _Ahhh! Talk about nerve-wracking!_ I think briefly before averting my eyes, choosing instead to focus on my opponent. I can't see William's expression behind his mask, so I have no way to see if he's as nervous as I am. _Whatever happens, I just have to do my best. Who knows, maybe this will be easy?_

"Begin!"

I start to run right at the boy, my Grimoire floating to life as I did so. His Grimoire is out as well, and he quickly sends a ranged attack my way. A big, fat root is suddenly tearing towards me through the surface of the ground, as if it were water. With a grunt, I manage to jump and avoid the destructive end, landing on the top and continuing to run. _Good thing I was exercising!_ I thought briefly before looking down. Smaller roots were springing out of the larger one, attempting to grab onto my feet and trip me. _No way! I'm almost there!_ "Fire Creation Magic: Flaming Talons!" My spell roars to life, and I slash down at the roots attempting to thwart me. I burn right through them like a hot knife and continue. I've almost reached William by now. _I can do it! I can actually win!_ I think as I prepare to jump at him and make the final blow. _Just a few more steps..._

It's then that I realize that he's got something clasped between his hands. He's obviously focusing very hard on whatever it is. Then, he raises his gaze to look into my eyes.

"World Tree Magic: Misteltein Seed."

He unclasps his hands and flicks the thing he was holding at me. I only catch a brief glimpse at the thing. _That's... just a seed?_

Well, it's definitely not "just a seed." As soon as it hits my chest, the seed explodes with life and mana. I let out a strangled cry as I am stopped in my tracks and something hard wraps around my body. My Flaming Talon spell is immediately extinguished. "Uh- what-" I blink, and realized that I have become completely immobilized within the trunk of a tree! _He threw that seed, and it became a tree so quickly? He said it was World Tree Magic... that's kind of amazing!_ I almost forget the fact that I've lost, before the attendant mage calls the match. "William wins!"

William quickly removes the spell and I drop to the ground, a little shocked at what just happened. I look up to see him offering me his hand. "Sorry about that... are you alright?"

I blink slowly, still feeling dazed, before taking his hand and letting him help me to my feet. "Yeah... that was amazing!" I ignore the fact that Horatio is laughing to himself at my loss in the sidelines. "I've never seen magic like that!"

William shrugs as we walk off the arena, looking a bit sheepish. "Thank you... you were really agile out there, I thought I would get you with that first attack for sure!"

I'm not sure what to say to that, but decide to take it as a compliment. 

The rest of the matches proceed fairly quickly, and a pit of dread appears in my stomach. _Did I do enough to impress them? Even though I lost to William, I still avoided those first two very powerful attacks._ I end up ignoring the last match in favor of staring down at my feet blankly. _But still... This is going to be tough. It could go either way._ The thing that bothered me the most was that I felt that I didn't manage to stand out at all. My abilities weren't more impressive compared to the other commoners here. That fight would have been over much quicker if I hadn't been training my legs for four years. _Well... hopefully someone liked my god-awful popcorn joke enough to let me join their squad!_

"It's time to announce the results!" one of the attendants announced to us. "When your number is called, step forward. Any captain that wishes to take you will raise their hand. If more than one do, you can choose between them. If none of them do, then you need to leave."

 _You need to leave._ The words sent a shiver down my spine. _Please please... just let someone pick me!_

"Number 1!"

I was number 118, so I had a long time to wait and become even more nervous. I watch as rejection after rejection rains down on the hopeful examinees, wounding my own confidence. _Jesus Christ... I just want to get this over with!_

"Number 21!"

William steps forward in front of the rest, looking up expectantly at the captains. "Do we have any hands?"

To my delight (somehow through all of this I ended up rooting for William to get into a good squad), several hands are raised, most notably Julius Novachrono's. William lets out a sigh of relief and straightens up. "I would like to join the Grey Deer," he says clearly, to no one's surprise. Captain Julius gives him a nod and a friendly smile. "Alright, next, number 22!"

William disappears after that, probably to go to the bathroom or something, so I'm left alone as we get closer and closer to my own number. My fists are clenched so tight that I'm sure I'll be drawing blood soon. _Please... just get to me..._

"Number 101!"

I see movement to my left side, and Horatio walks up to the front. He actually looks nervous for once, too, and I feel a little bad. _Whoa! Don't feel bad for him! He doesn't have anything to worry about anyway._ I remembered his promise last night, that he would get an offer from every single captain. "Do we have any offers?"

Slowly, each of the captains raise their hands, some more hesitantly than others. My heart is pounding in my chest as I start to count them. _One... three.. five... seven..._

_Eight._

All of the captains eventually raise their hands for Horatio, with one notable exception: Julius Novachrono's hands stay folded on his lap as he stares down at the boy indifferently.

For a moment, Horatio almost looks mad, but he shakes it off quickly. He's spoiled for choice, just as I predicted. "I choose to join the Silver Eagles," he announces proudly. The Silver Eagle captain gives him a nod before smirking at the other captains. Horatio doesn't look at me as he retreats back into the crowd, like I've become something so far below him, something he will never acknowledge. _So, he did become the first Magic Knight from our town,_ I think to myself as they continue calling numbers. _...but he didn't get an offer from every one of them._ It was a small comfort, soon forgotten as soon as I hear "Next! 118."

All eyes are on me as I finally get to step forward and face the music. I can't even bring myself to draw my gaze up from the ground, I'm so nervous! Somewhere in the audience, Lyra had her hands clasped together in prayer. I myself was praying that _someone_ saw some sort of potential in me and was willing to give me a chance. _Please... Please..._ I squeeze my eyes shut as I hear those fateful words:

"Do we have any offers?"

One second passes. Then another. And another.

Finally, I open my eyes and raise my gaze to the captains above.

None of them are raising their hands. 

I really shouldn't be surprised, but my mouth falls open a little at the realization that I was facing a cold, hard rejection. In that moment, it felt like the four years of hard work I so painfully fought through were all for nothing... there was no path forward from here. It was over.

I could already hear my mother's voice in my ear. _"See? You were never meant to be anything more than what I need you to be. So stay by my side, for the rest of your life..."_

I don't feel angry or sad, or anything like that. The only feeling permeating my body in that instant is... numbness.

I realize that this "dream" wasn't really a dream. It was a _goal,_ something I based my entire life and future on. It wasn't until now, when that future was taken from me, that I realized how much it really meant to me. _I wasn't doing this for my father, or out of spite, or even to become the Wizard King. It was my life... and now it's ended._

All this flashes through my head in that instant, and I snap back to reality fairly quickly. I close my mouth and take a deep breath through my nose. Somehow, I manage a smile, a guilty, sheepish smile. _Sorry for wasting your time._ I raise my hand in a half hearted wave before turning and walking out of the arena alone. 

I stop as soon as I'm out, taking in another deep breath. _That's it then... I guess I will be going home._

Lyra comes down to join me soon after, throwing her arms around me in a tight hug that I barely reciprocate. "...I'm so sorry," she whispers, closer to tears than I am. "You looked so good out there too..."

I sighed and rest my head on her shoulder briefly. "I know... it's just meant to be."

She pulls back and wipes her eyes. "Well... you can always try again next time, right?"

 _Next time._ For some reason, the words ring empty between my ears. "Yeah..."

Someone is suddenly calling my name. Both of us turn around and I'm surprised to see William running up to us. "William? You should probably wait inside," I tell him, conjuring up a friendly smile. "Congratulations, by the way... you got into the best squad."

"Thank you," he replies, his eyes crinkling with worry. "I just want to apologize... I should have given you more time to show off your magic, maybe then-"

"Don't be sorry, William," I interrupt. "There wasn't any more to show off, I have only one spell." He looks a little surprised at this fact, at least I think he's surprised somewhere behind the mask. But it's true: I'm nothing special, just a girl who's magic has barely strengthened since she was a baby. "That fight was fun though... I'm sure you're going to be a great magic knight!"

William blinks, eventually extending his hand for a farewell handshake. "... good luck with everything," he says softly. "You'll keep trying out though, right?"

I gulp. "Well... our town is a long way away, and my mother-"

"I think you could make it in if you keep practicing," he tries to be encouraging as he shakes my hand firmly, a smile on his face. "So... I'll be waiting for you in the Grey Deer."

His words are oddly touching, even with my current mindset. For a moment, I consider the fact that I could just try out again and again. But my mother... now that she knows my secret, she'll never let me see it through. I'm sure of that much, and I'm not prepared for the verbal abuse that's soon to be thrown my way. But William's words... they remind me of the encouragement I got from Mereoleona, all those years ago. "Thanks... William. I'll see you again one day." With that, I let go of his hand, and we go our separate ways.

"Let's go back to the inn for one more night," Lyra suggests. "You look exhausted."

"No." I shake my head definitively. "We should go now... I don't want to be in this city any more."

Lyra looks concerned but doesn't protest. "Alright."

She takes my hand, and I walk away towards the beginning of a new life, leaving the old one behind to die.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really liked writing this chapter even though it was disappointing for our reader at the end. Thanks for reading so far, I would love some feedback, too!! :(


	6. the man with the mark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Real talk I have 4 chapters written ahead for this so I'm posting a second chapter today! Enjoy!

**5.**

_**Three Years Later** _

"This is my daughter! Isn't she a beauty? She's grown so much in the past few years, I can hardly believe it! If she's anything like me and her father, she'll stay beautiful far into her forties! She's only 18 now, the perfect age for marriage, if you ask me! She's nice and quiet, too, she already went through her rebellious phase, ahah. She's going to be the perfect wife, I just know it!"

The man my mother introduces me to has to be at least twice my age. He's old. Really fucking old. Older than my dad, who's getting into his fifties soon. I also don't like the way he's eyeing me, but I gave up any kind of dignity long ago. All I really can do is follow my mom around until she finds someone suitable for me to marry, someone with good genes to pass onto my children. However, I'm not sure what she sees in this particular guy, who she is adamant about. He's old, kind of fat, and really, really ugly. I don't really go for redheads (if you could call him that... most of the red has faded into grey). It surprised me at first to learn that he wasn't already married at such an advanced age, but my mother told me otherwise; he had recently annulled the marriage with the mother of his first four children. I didn't really want to know the reason behind that. 

Over the past three years, I learned to put up with my mother. The only way to survive her verbal and mental attacks was to adapt to them, to let her freely shape me with her own hands into the woman she wanted me to be. It didn't matter to me anymore, I just wanted to live my life and one day die. Maybe then I could start over, with a new mother and a new life. 

The dreams I held long ago were forgotten... but little did I know, today would throw me right back into that fire.

"Why him?" I asked my mom quietly as we walked back to the tavern. My mom was rather chipper today, glad that my future was finally being set in stone. "Can he even father children anymore?"

"I'm sure he can! Men don't dry up like women do," Mom replies quickly. "Also, he's very well off. He owns a lot of the mines on the edge of town. You'd get to live in such a big house, and start off with 4 children already!" She lets out a small chuckle before becoming serious again. "I don't want to hear any complaints. He has a big crush on you."

I wrinkle my nose at the thought but don't say anything- I don't want to invoke her wrath once again. "I see..." is all I can manage to say.

Nothing has changed much in the last three years. Life goes on as normal. After finishing school, I went to work with my dad at the tavern, but that gig would be over as soon as I got married to whats-his-face. God, he was old. Anyway, my mother kept talking as we walked. At least she was happy nowadays. "I talked to your friend Horatio's mother yesterday! What a fine young man he's turned out to be. They just promoted him to intermediate knight in the Silver Eagles, isn't that swell? Too bad he never comes around to visit, I could have had you marry him. Not that I'm complaining!" 

The thought of marrying Horatio is the only thing worse than marrying my beloved ancient ginger. "That's good for him," I answer, my memory flashing back to that day long ago when he got to live my dream.

_No... it wasn't a dream. It was just a fantasy._

The Tavern is moderately busy during lunch, not nearly as full as it gets for dinner and later. My father greets us happily as we come in, and the three of us are seated at a table with lots of food soon enough. My aunt and uncle soon join us, along with Lyra and my other cousins Pat and Rocco. Lyra had a baby a couple months ago with her husband (who she _actually_ got to fall in love with), and the infant is swaddled in a sling around her body. "I heard the new Wizard King is travelling around the kingdom!" she informs us brightly. "He's being accompanied by his old squad. I wonder if he'll come here."

My father snorts into his mug. "Not a chance," he replies absolutely. "We don't even get magic knights here, much less the Wizard King! Not that I wouldn't _want_ him here... He's missing out on the best-"

"Best goddamned whiskey in the goddamned kingdom," we all chorus together, then giggle at my dad's reaction. "He won't know what he's missing."

For a moment, I consider bringing up the fact that I'm the only one in the room who's actually _seen_ the man himself, but the words catch in my throat. _Bringing that up... I don't want my mom to remember how furious she was at me._ I swallow the thought along with my food and think about something else.

Eventually, mother leaves with my aunt and uncle. My little cousins play together on the ground while Lyra stands up. "I better get going, too," she tells me with a little smile. "I'll see you back home. Take care of the kids!"

"See you!" my dad says and waves goodbye. I do so as well, minimally. 

I help my dad wash dishes in silent, before he pours the two of us a drink so we can relax. I sip my drink silently, once again remembering my short-lived wanderings in the capital. "So... how was that guy? Your _fiance~"_ He puts extra emphasis on the last word, letting out a goofy laugh. I can't help but crack a smile at the joke, before remembering that my life was actually the joke. "He's nice... it's just..." My voice trails off, not wanting to complain. Mom told me not to. 

Father picks up on this fairly quickly. "I'm not going to tell on you," he assures me, setting his drink down. "What's wrong with him?"

"... He's older than you, dad."

"WHAT?!" 

I winced but nod, confirming his suspicion. "Jesus Christ, really? I can't believe your mother... marrying you off to some old geezer!" For the first time in a while, he looks genuinely angry. 

"It's not that big of a deal-"

"It is! It is a big deal." He glares at his drink. "You're my daughter... you deserve better than this."

_You deserve better than this._

"Thanks... but I don't know what to do about it," I finally reply, the warm feeling of his words melting away. 

Dad shakes his head. "I'll talk to her. Don't worry about a thing." He reaches over amd claps my shoulder gently. "I worry about you sometimes, though... I feel like you've given up."

Maybe it seems that way. Maybe it's even true. I don't really use my Grimoire in everyday life, opting to light fires in the hearth with my hands. It hangs uselessly at my side. I didn't try out for the magic knights again after that day three years ago, and I didn't plan on it. There was no reason to practice anymore. 

However, my father stayed optimistic, even when I couldn't be. " _You're 18 now..."_ he told me on my birthday. " _I have a feeling that something big is going to happen this year!"_

Something big... my whole life, my father was fixated on that age, when I turned 18. He even told me to wait to try out for the magic knights until I was 18, as if he knew something I didn't. I never confronted him about it before, but my curiosity is getting the better of me now. "Dad... what's going to happen to me this year?" I ask him quietly, raisong my head to look into his eyes. They're the same color as mine. "You always stressed that something would happen to me... what is it?"

He stares at me for a moment before smiling. "There you are," he commented. "I'll tell you... as soon as it happens."

I blink. "As soon as _what_ happens?" He's being awfully cryptic. 

Dad just laughs at the inquiry. "You'll see! You'll see!" He chuckles and ruffles my hair up, which annoys me a little. "You know... when you were three years old, you breathed fire and burned down your crib. Scared the daylights outta me and your mother!" I rolled my eyes a bit, having heard this story many time. He was obviously dodging my prior questions. "I think your fire is going to come back, sooner than you think." With that, he stands up and finishes off his drink. "Well, I gotta go get some more firewood before your mother dies of an aneurysm. She's been nagging me for days." He waves goodbye briefly, flashing the symbol on his palm. "See ya!"

I'm left alone to clean up the tavern myself, lost in thought about what my dad told me. _If something's going to happen to me, maybe I should wait to get married until it happens, just in case it changes everything or something._ However, I doubt that my mother will gibe up that easily, and I'm not willing to go against her again. _No... my life has already been decided for me. I don't think anything will change that._

As soon as I finish that thought, a man comes bursting into the tavern, out of breath. "EMERGENCY!" he yells. "A group of Diamond Mages is attacking the town!"

Everyone gasps in fear, and panic ensues. The remaining patrons jump out of their chairs, many of them tipping over, and drunkenly scramble for the exit. One of the more sober ones grabs his broom on the way out. "I'm heading East! There are some magic knights stationed in the next town over!" I highly doubt he's going to get there in time, but it's worth a shot.

Our town was a historical hotspot for battles between the Clover and Diamond Kingdoms. Situated right on the border, our founders started a little mining village when a store of magic-enhancing jewels was found underground. For a while, that was the main reason the town was fought over, but eventually it passed into the hands of the Clover Kingdom. We stopped mining a long time ago, and the only jewels left were dangerously deep underground.

My first thought is to grab my little cousins and run, but neither of them are in the tavern anymore. "Pat! ROCCO!" I call out, running outside and feeling my heart start to pound. _Why do they have to disappear NOW! Someone's going to get hurt!_ People are screaming and running away from the source of some kind of explosion that's sent billows of smoke up into the air. I quickly note that it's coming from one of the big mines on the edge of town. The crowd is streaming by me now, and others are escaping via broom up above. "Run! They're going to get here any minute!" Someone grabs my arm in an attempt to pull be along, but I shake them off and keep running. I still haven't found my cousins, and I'm not going to leave them behind!

"PAT! ROCCO!" I hear Lyra's voice and quickly run up to her. "You haven't seen them either?" she asks me, desperation in her voice. She's handed off her own baby to her husband. I shake my head. "Let's divide and conquer!"

"Good idea!"

We split up, and I run into the town square. My breath catches in my throat when I finally spot the two younger boys standing by the well in the middle, acting like nothing was wrong even though people were running by screaming in fear. "There you are!" I run up to them and grab them by their arms. "You two serious piss me off! There's a Diamond Kingdom attack, and-"

As soon as I start to pull them away, a barrage of something hits the well and basically makes it explode. I scream and try to cover my cousins as stones and sticks rain down on us. I look up from where we've fallen and see a group of mages making their way towards us. They're wearing black clothing and look extremely ominous. _Uh oh, those are probably the Diamond guys!_ It had been decades since the conflict over our town was decided, but for some reason they were back. One of them looks right at the three of us and grins. "Easy pickings in this town!" he exclaims happily, raising his hands and Grimoire. I grab my cousins' hands and prepare to run, but a ball of energy shoots by. It sails across the town square and hits the Diamond guy right in the chest. "Ach!" He goes flying out of sight. 

I look up to see none other than my father running over, his Grimoire out for the first time that I can remember. "You three! Get out of here!" he tells us as he runs by, balling up his fists. "Orb Lightning Magic: Crackling Fist!" Electricity snaps around his fists like gloves, and he charges forward and punches one of the enemies in the face. "Go!"

I don't move right away, both shocked and awed by my father. Who knew he was like this? He never used his magic other than for menial things, but the mana coming off of him now is almost overwhelming. _Was he trying to hide this from us? Why would he do that?_ I catch sight of his Grimoire, and notice something strange about it: it doesn't have the usual Clover emblem on the cover. Everyone in this Kingdom had a clover of some sort on their Grimoire, even me. But my father's cover was blank...

_Does that mean... he's not from the Clover Kingdom?_

I realize that my cousins and I are being dragged away from the fight by a corporeal cloud. I look behind us to see Lyra, her Grimoire out and using her cloud magic to pull us to safety. She looks just as surprised as the rest of us to see my father fighting like this. "Come on! Let's go!"

"Wait!" I stand up quickly as we hide behind the corner of a building. I want to watch, many questions racing through my mind.

My father raises his left hand above his head, charging up another attack. The symbol on his hand is glowing. "Just this once," he muttered. "I'll draw from your power." With one decisive blow, he sends out a web of electric orbs around the area, knocking away all six enemy mages. Smoke hangs in the air as things finally settle down. My father is breathing heavily as he stands there, and finally lets his shoulders slump. I have about a million questions for him after what just happened, so I step out from behind the corner. "Dad?"

He turns and catches sight of me. "Hey! Didn't I tell you to-"

Something flies up from behind and instantly impales him. He freezes there, in the middle of walking towards me, face going blank at the realization of what's just happened. The thing in his back, now poking through his chest, looks like an oversized sewing needle. It's skewered him right through the heart.

The mage Dad hit first is somehow on his feet again, Grimoire out and smirking after successfully harming his opponent. 

Dad's mouth moves slowly, saying my name. Then, he falls forward and does not get up. 

I can't move. I can't breathe. Someone (Lyra?) screams, but I can hardly hear over the sound of my thumping heart. 

Blood starts to pool underneath his body. 


	7. the girl with the mark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I feel like I'm struggling with the action sequences in this haha well enjoy anyway!  
> 2\. Reader goes from Fire Aspect I to Fire Aspect II

My father's blank Grimoire starts to dematerialize, specks of it floating up into the air as his life ends. The needle that killed him disappears as well, leaving the blood to slowly stain the back of his shirt as it does the same to the ground underneath him. Lyra is tugging at my arm, yelling at me through tears to run, but I'm frozen. My mind is slowly catching up to the realization that my father, the most genuine, kind man I had ever met, was dead, bleeding his life out into the dirt. His left palm is splayed out towards the sky, and the symbol that adorned it fades away. 

He's dead. 

I don't know why my body starts moving as I pull away from Lyra and take my first step towards the body. I have too many things to ask him, too many questions that will now never be answered. _Why do you have that mark? Why doesn't your Grimoire have a Clover on it? Where did you come from? Is something still going to happen to me? What does it all mean?!_ Anger, sadness, guilt, fear, it's all welling up uncontrollably as I start to run. I know it's dangerous, but something is pulling me forward, an urge to find out the truth, even if it doesn't even exist.

_"You deserve better than this."_

If he's gone, who's left that will tell me those things I need to hear? The things that give me hope for any kind of future beyond what's been decided for me.

"Needle Magic: Piercing Shot!"

The Diamond Mage casts a spell, and it happens so fast that I don't even feel it at first. My body jerks back as I stumble and fall by my father's side, and I feel the pain a moment later. A needle has already shot through my chest, faster than I could perceive it. I finally cry out in pain, clutching the spot as I roll over. I lift my hand up and become dizzy at the sight of my own blood. _Ah! I should have run away, this guy killed my dad like it was nothing, and I just ran out anyway? Stupid!_ I curse myself, the only comfort being that I've been hit on my right side, missing my heart. 

I roll over onto my side, breathing heavily as everything seems to slow down. My father hasn't moved, of course, still face down in the dirt. Feeling tears start to well up in my eyes, I reach over and weakly take my father's limp hand in my own. It's cold... so cold. He was such a warm person in life, but it's all gone now. 

"Dad..."

Without really thinking about it, I take his hand and press the palm against my forehead.

"If something is meant to happen to me... please, let it happen now."

The Needle guy is walking towards the two of us, but I can't hear his footsteps over the ringing in my ears, my father's hand burning against my skin.

"Just this once... let me draw from your power." 

It hurts so much that I wonder if I've been stabbed in the forehead by another needle. I cry out and let go of my father's hand, sitting up as my own hands come up to grip my forehead. I'm not sure what I just did, but it was _something._ The pain reaches a climax, and right as I think I can't take it anymore, it disappears entirely.

When I open my eyes, I'm still sitting up, looking at the sky, and everything seems strangely clear. My vision, my mind... I'm happy the pain is gone, but another feeling is lingering, something I've never felt before. Something ancient. 

Slowly, I lower my gaze to the Diamond Mage, who's stopped in his tracks. I see now that he has some sort of jewel embedded in his face, one on each cheekbone. His expression changes from one of shock, to one of confusion and... fear? "You..." He points at me accusingly. "How did you do that? There are two of you now?"

I'm not sure what he means, but apparently something must be different. I remember that this guy just skewered my dad like a shish-kebab, and was attempting to do the same to everyone else in the town. I don't know why mages from the Diamond Kingdom are here, but I'm not going to let them take even one more step forward. With less difficulty than it should have, I manage to rise to my feet, my knees shaking from a combination of fear and adrenaline. I reach up and grab onto the shaft of the needle, my eyes not leaving his.

"You... killed him." I pull the needle out and toss it aside. "I won't forgive you!"

The mage takes a step back but holds his ground as something unfamiliar surges through me, taking me by surprise as well. My magic has never been particularly strong, despite my best efforts. For the longest time, I just assumed that my status as a commoner determined the amount of magic I was given at birth. But now... something's changed. Some innate, sleeping power has awakened, and I'm just pissed off enough to use it.

"Needle Magic! Needles in a Haystack!" The Diamond Mage swings his arms in a panic, sending a storm of small needles spiraling down towards me. However, I'm quicker. My blue Grimoire flips open in front of me, new spells suddenly popping up almost every other page. Despite the sudden influx of options, there's only one spell I'm looking for, one that would be appropriate for being what could very well be my last spell. Finally, I find the page as it burns to life. I can feel my power heating up, hotter than it's ever been before. Something about it is deeply thrilling, almost like when I snuck away to the capital all those years ago. A thrilling feeling of... freedom. 

"Fire Creation Magic: Flaming Condor!"

The fire in my hand flares up dangerously, suddenly changing color from its usual orange to a crackling, burning light blue. Something huge emerges from the flames, spreading its wings out as it takes flight from my mind. It's almost exactly like I imagined it, a giant vulture ablaze with fire, but I never thought it would be _blue fire._ Letting out a vengeful screech, the spell soars straight towards the Diamond guy, extending its talons. The mage screams, but it's too late. Flaming Condor blasts him across the courtyard into a stone wall,where he crumples to the ground like a limp rag doll. The spell dissipates soon afterwords, and I stand there in silence, stunned at the flashy display of power that had just come from my own hands.

Was that... _my_ magic? Did I really just cast that spell? It's not adding up... I've never been able to do anything impressive, I've never been able to channel my minimal amount of magic like that. 

But... I saw it. Flaming Condor was _my_ spell. Had it always been in there somewhere? Or did something happen to draw it out...

Slowly, I reach up and touch my forehead, feeling the outline of something, kind of like a scar, burned into my forehead. I can't see it, of course, but now I notice that a faint, blue glow is coming from it. 

_...Is it... like my dad's...?_

The diamond mage had reacted to whatever this was, with confusion and fear. _"There are two of you?"_

I'm marked with something. I don't know why... but it must be important. _Is this what my dad said would happen to me? Does this have something to do with-_

I'm suddenly pulled from my thoughts by a horrible, stinging sensation all over my body. I look down at my arms to see that, despite the power of my spell, it hadn't managed to block any of the needles. There's blood everywhere... Arms, chest, neck... Everything starts to spin once again, the momentary clarity gone. My blue Grimoire slips from my hand and lands at my feet right before I pass out.

_Am I going to die...?_

_Maybe... At least I got to feel that power... at least once..._

Everything slips away. Someone is yelling my name. People are cheering. Time slips away.


	8. the missing grimoire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. What's this??? LORE??? Just a lil bit ;)

_"Something strange has happened. We felt it in our very soul... our son is dead. In the moments before his death, he drew power from our Dyad."_

_The man and woman spoke in complete unison, no remorse in their voice. Their hands were clasped together tightly, a dull glow emanating from their connected palms. Another man sat in front of them in a large chair, hands propped up on the table in front of him as he listened intently. He arched a brow at their statement._

_"That is strange... but he's dead. That's one less rogue for us to worry about."_

_"That's not all... he has a daughter. Her seal broke in that very moment, and she drew from our power as well."_

_"Right on schedule." The man sighed and lowered his hands. "She's not different than any of the others, despite having a mother from the Clover Kingdom."_

_"... her mark is located in the same place as yours."_

_Now that got his attention. Almost instinctively, the man raised his hand to his forehead, lightly touching the symbol of infinity that was burned there by an ancient magic. "Now... that_ is _interesting." He smiled and lowered his hand to the tabletop. "She's not dangerous... as long as she never manifests the Dyad spell. However... you need to keep an eye on her. It should be easy- she's your granddaughter after all, she's linked to your very lifeforce. But she could be very useful to us one day."_

_"Understood."_

_The pair, the Dyad, turned and walked away, never loosening their grip on each other's hands. The door closed behind them, shadowing the room in darkness once again._

* * *

A breeze is floating through my room the next morning. I quickly open my eyes and realize that the window is open, the light curtains floating around in a dreamlike way. _This... this is my room. I'm not dead?_ The events before my untimely "demise" are foggy in this waking moment, but they slowly start to filter back. _I... I fought a mage from the Diamond Kingdom, and won? But how? My magic isn't that powerful?_ One of my hands comes up and rubs the sleep out of my eyes. I'm exhausted, my movements like a reanimated corpse. _My Blue Grimoire... it's Blue because my fire is supposed to be blue. Why didn't I think about that before?_ I let out a soft chuckle, but the sound doesn't fully peave my throat and ends up sounding like a pained moan. 

"YOU'RE AWAKE!!!"

Lyra is suddenly hovering over me, hands on both of my shoulders. "I'm so happy! We healed you, but you still didn't wake up until this morning! I was so worried! Oh, the others!" She suddenly runs away from the side of the bed and to the open bedroom door. "Guys! She's awake!" she yells loudly down the stairs.

While she's gone, I have the chance to sit up. I look down at my arms to see that all the blood is gone, and there's no sign that the skin was ever broken. I reach up and massage the area of my chest where I was impaled. It doesn't hurt, not at all. _Whoever did this had some powerful healing magic._ Lyra is quickly back at my side. "Don't sit up yet! I don't want you to get dizzy or anything," she commands. "You've been out since we rescued you last night."

"We? And, I'm fine." I blink in the sunlight. It's definitely morning. I hear a thundering of footsteps coming up the stairs before Rocco and Pat, followed by Aunt Portia, come bursting into the room with excitement. "You're safe! I can't believe you, though!" Portia scolds, immediately grabbing my hand in hers. "Doing something that risky... you're just like your father!"

"That was amazing magic out there!" Lyra adds. My little cousins crawl all over me on the bed, babbling about how great I was and whatnot. I'm still not quite sure how I managed to do all that, but I smile and thank them anyway. "Why didn't you use that spell at the exam? You would have definitely gotten in!" Lyra adds.

"Oh, well," I laugh nervously. "That spell appeared just yesterday. I don't know why, but my magical power just... increased in that moment."

"Hmm." Portia thinks about it. "Maybe it had something to do with the adrenaline? Anyway, magic knight or not, these three won't stop talking about it."

Rocco nods and starts jumping on the bed, and I wince as he accidentally stomps on my leg. "So cool! So cool!" Pat soon joins his chorus, before Portia ushers them off of the bed. "In any case... I'm glad you're okay." She smiles at me genuinely.

I smile back before glancing out the window. Everything is quiet. "So... what happened? Like, with the attack?" I ask them. "And why am I still alive?"

Before Portia can even open her mouth, Lyra jumps in with the entire story, spitting it out in ten seconds flat.

"It was unbelievable! You collapsed, and I was going to go out and get you, but more Diamond guys came into the square! I was so scared, they looked like they were going to kill everyone! But then- oh, I wish you were awake for this- a whole bunch of magic knights arrived from the next town! They were so, so cool! They saved everyone! Those Diamond guys were tough, but the battle was over almost instantly. Oh! And-" Her eyes suddenly sparkle. "The Wizard King! He was there! He put all the bad guys in this bubble thing, a-and he put you in one too! I don't really understand what's going on but you ended up surviving, and one of them healed your wounds, and-"

"Wait, wait, slow down!" I hold up my hands as she starts speaking way too fast. "... What? The Wizard King?"

"Wizard King! Wizard King!" Rocco and Pat chant together, running around in a circle. Portia rolls her eyes, but still smiles to herself.

Lyra nods. "...yeah. He's been traveling around the Kingdom, since he's new and all, and he and his old squad happened to be really close. So... they came and saved the town." Her eyes look like they're going to start leaking tears soon. "oh... they were so amazing..." Her voice trails off at the memory. "I'm so glad they came... otherwise..." Now the tears are here, streaking down her cheeks. "They saved you... I'll never be able to thank them enough!" She throws her arms around me and starts bawling. I awkwardly pat her on the back, genuinely thankful for her concern but also still taking in all this new information. The Wizard King was here, really? Was he still here? If he was with his old squad, does that mean...

"Oh!" Lyra suddenly sits up. "Do you know that guy?"

She points at the door. I follow her direction to see a magic knight standing there, wearing a Grey Deer cloak and a very familiar mask.

"...William?"

He's grown a lot taller and stronger since we were 15, but his eyes are still as kind as they were before. "Long time, no see."

I finally smile, his presence somehow proving to me that everything was going to be alright. "You really are here..." I say out loud. "I'm glad to see you."

"I'm glad to see you awake," he replies, walking forward into the room and to the foot of the bed. Portia looks like she's going to have a heart attack at the sight of such a respectable looking magic knight. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine... I feel fine," I reply simply, reaching up and rubbing my forehead. The mark is still there, I can feel it. "I don't really know what happened out there, though."

"That's understandable... I take it you've been practicing, though," William says, smiling knowingly. Unfortunately, it's not true, and I open my mouth to explain when another, unfamiliar man pushes his way into my room. He's huge, with more muscles than I thought was possible and a head of unkempt black hair. He's smoking a cigarette. "Vangeance!" he barks. "How long do we have to hang around here? Someone's going to get hurt if I don't eat anytime soon." His eyes fall on me, and he points accusingly. "You there, girl with the creepy-looking thing on her head, are you alright?"

His tone is not concerned in the least, and I'm not too happy about him using the word "creepy" to describe something on my skin. "Uh... yeah, I-"

"Then let's go." He taps his foot impatiently and glares at William, who sighs as if this is a common occurrence. "You'll have to excuse Yami, he thinks with his stomach," he apologizes. Then, his eyes narrow a bit. "That does remind me... what's the deal with that mark? You didn't have it last time we met." I suddenly feel all eyes on my forehead, and it makes me feel very self conscious. However, maybe it would feel good to talk about it.

"My father had a mark like this on his palm for his entire life," I start, suddenly remembering the fact that my father is dead now. I push it aside to deal with later; I don't really want to cry in front of everyone. "I thought it was a birthmark or something, but he channeled magic through it somehow when he was fighting the Diamond Mages. When he died, it disappeared... I don't know why I did it, but I wished that the same power would channel through me, and it did. The mark appeared, and I was suddenly able to cast a really powerful spell." I look down at my hands, folded in my lap. "I've never been able to produce magic like that... but why now?"

William rubs his chin, thinking about everything I just said. "Interesting... I've heard of people unlocking new powers and spells because of dangerous situations, but the symbol makes me think that it's some sort of ancient magic."

Portia gasps. " _Forbidden_ Magic?"

"No, no, I don't think so," William assures her, looking back at me. "I'm not an expert in these types of things. It's strange though... but I'm sure there's a record of it somewhere." He shrugged. "We'll be leaving town this evening. I hope you can come out and say farewell."

"William! Lunch!" Yami reminds him, and he laughs a little at his friend's persistence. "I'll see you later. Thank you for letting us hang around."

"No problem!" Lyra answers, waving goodbye as they leave the room and walk down the stairs. I turn to Portia. "Where's mother?"

She lets out a heavy sigh. "....mourning."

The mood immediately darkens as we all remember the person we lost yesterday. Lyra closes her eyes and squeezes my hand. "I-I'm so sorry..."

I stared at the covers of my bed, feeling my eyes start to water. "Can you guys... leave me alone for just a little while?" I ask quietly. Lyra nods, and she and her mother quickly escort the little cousins out before closing the door.

I let the floodgates open immediately, crying softly into my pillow.

_He's gone... he's gone... I'll never see him again..._

_Dad... Please..._

Sobs rack my body for exactly 15 minutes before I finally calm down, sitting up again and clutching my tear-stained pillow tightly against my chest. It happened so quickly, and I didn't even get to say goodbye. Now I was alone... alone with my mother, alone with unanswered questions, and alone with a strange symbol that I didn't understand.

But throughout all this, I slowly begin to realize something: I'm not weak any more. Whatever just happened, it gave me the power I needed to fight. Not just in that moment, but in that future as well. _Almost as if it was my father's dying gift to me... I wonder if this mark and this new strength is what he told me would happen when I was 18... if he's really not from the Clover Kingdom, then he must have known that my life was going to be different somehow._

I reach for my Grimoire, then realize a terrible fact: it's gone. I quickly jump out of bed and search the room, but there's nothing. _Oh crap! Did I leave it out in the courtyard?_ I thought to myself, starting to really panic. _No, no, no, no-_ I feel dizzy again and my breathing starts to get tight. _I can't lose it... I can't..._

But I have lost it. I quickly throw on some clothes and run out of the house, surprisingly energetic for someone who's been asleep for almost a day. Everyone else is gone from the house, probably working at the tavern now that we have a bunch of magic knights hanging out around town. If any of them were as hungry as Yami was, we would be in big trouble. I run straight to the town square, where I last remember dropping it, and scour the entire area top to bottom. I even sift through the rubble of the destroyed well. But, the blue Grimoire that I had finally mastered was nowhere to be found.

_Gone... I really lost it? As soon as I figured it all out? What kind of fucked up karma is this?_

I suddenly become aware of the people whispering around me. _"That's the girl with fire magic! She took down that Diamond Mage!"_

_"She's always been weak, though? She's_ Candlestick, _remember?"_

_"Right... what did she do to get that power? Is it even_ her _power?"_

_"I bet it was forbidden magic..."_

_"Probably, look at that creepy mark on her forehead!"_

My face heats up as the whispers continue, and I automatically reach up and cover my forehead, becoming very aware of the mark burned there. _I don't want them to look at me... I need to go somewhere private!_ Without another thought, I dash off towards the edge of town, a particular spot in my mind.

_There... I can clear my head there. Maybe I'll remember where I left my Grimoire._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question: is this even good? Lmao. I don't usually write in 1st person so maybe it's just me. Anyway, a fateful meeting occurs next chapter ;)


	9. the man in the woods

**8.**

Soon, I'm able to breathe a sigh of relief. This spot in the woods, by the edge of the river, has barely changed since I was a child. The bed of cornflowers still covers the ground, drifting lazily along with the breeze. Just being here is... calming. _Maybe I'll never leave... that would be nice. I'll never have to face my mother, or the townspeople again. I bet mom will blame dad's death on me somehow... just like she blames everything on me._ I really don't want to marry that guy I met yesterday, but the guilt welling up in the pit of my stomach is telling me that I should, just to atone for what I've done.

 _But, have I ever really done_ anything? _Why can't I just live my life the way I want to? I have the power to do so now... if I can find my Grimoire, that is._

I walk to the edge of the river, which is awfully calm today. I can see my reflection on the surface, looking as exhausted as I felt. My eyes weren't red anymore from the crying session earlier, thankfully. What really stands out is the mark above my eyebrows: the symbol for infinity. _What does this really mean... what does_ any _thing mean anymore?_

I've become so engrossed in my own thoughts that it takes me a moment to register that there's a large shadow looming up behind my reflection. But once I notice, I freak out. "Ah!" My first reaction is to jump into the river and swim away, but I remember at the last second that I don't actually know how to swim. So, I have no choice but to whip around and face my "attacker" head on. "Who-"

My angry words immediately become lodged in my throat at the sight of the man standing in front of me. He raises a hand in a casual _hello._ "Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you!"

It's none other than Julius Novachrono, the Wizard King himself, standing there in the woods. He's dressed much more extravagantly than the last time I saw him, but I instantly recognize him. _What's he doing here? How did he find me? Did he have to sneak up on me like that?_ I come to my senses and close my mouth before I make any embarrassing noises. Despite the fact that he's the Wizard King, he still gives off a friendly, open aura... but something about him intimidates me now that he's so close. "Oh... ah, it's okay, I didn't think anyone followed me," I finally manage to reply, stepping away from the edge of the river but still keeping an eye on the man. "What- er- what brings you out here?" I mentally kick myself over how awkward I'm sounding. 

However, he doesn't seem to notice. "William and Yami came back and told me that you woke up," he explained, looking down at me with a calm, neutrally-happy expression on his face. I notice for the first time that his eyes are a pleasant shade of lavender. The corners of his small smile somehow manage to reach them. I can't tell how old he is; he seems to possess both a youthful spirit and ancient wisdom, but he is obviously younger than my father. I also notice that he's quite handsome. "You made it easy for me to capture that Diamond Mage, and I wanted to thank you."

My brain short-circuits. _T-thank me?_ Somehow, I'm stuttering even in my mind. _The Wizard King... he's thanking_ me? I can hardly believe that this is actually happening. "Oh, there's no need to thank me! I-I was just trying to defend myself!" I quickly reply. Even if I did take that guy out, I don't feel like taking the credit for everything right away. To my surprise, the Wizard King lets out a cheerful laugh at my modesty. "You still did a good job. That reminds me-" He reaches into the heavy-looking red robe he's wearing. "I need to return this to you."

He pulls out my Grimoire and holds it up. I can't help but gasp at the sight, extremely relieved that he found it. "Oh! I was so worried I lost it!" I exclaim, quickly reaching out to take it from him. But, I pause for a moment once I think about it, and my eyes narrow skeptically. "But... why do you have that, anyway?"

I wonder if I've stepped over a line when his happy expression falters. He suddenly bows his head and holds the Grimoire out to me. "I'm sorry! I couldn't help it!" he says quickly, his regal voice heavy with guilt. He almost sounds frantic. "You dropped it earlier and I picked it up, I was going to give it back, but I really liked the spell you used out there and I wanted to see if you had more, and you did! I've heard of people using blue fire, but I've never seen it myself! And-"

He continues to apologize fervently, and I'm unable to do anything but stand there in shock. The change from Magic King to Magic Nerd is so jarring, it takes me a moment to move again. _He's... apologizing? The Wizard King?! Is this even real?_ I gulp and quickly take the Grimoire from his hands, stopping his ramblings. "It-s fine," I assure him, clutching the book tightly. I really was happy to have it back, if nothing else, even though I'm still unsure of why he was so interested in my spells. "Thank you... I'm honored that you liked my spell."

His eyes suddenly sparkle and he balls his fists up excitedly. "When I first arrived in town, I could feel your mana all the way over there!" He waves his hand in some random direction. "So I raced over there to watch, and I wasn't disappointed!" His enthusiasm suddenly dissipates as soon as it started, and he clears his throat. "Also, well... I'm sorry about your father. I really am..." His gaze flickers off somewhere behind me before returning to my face, his tone rather glum now. "I wish I got there sooner, I would have-"

"Don't worry about it," I interrupt. _You fool! He's the Wizard King, you can't just interrupt him!_ He doesn't seem mad about it, though, he just continues to look at me with mild interest. "You and the Grey Deer saved this town, everyone is thankful for that. Including me. There's no reason to regret anything." For the first time since we met, I manage to conjure up a smile for him, at least hoping to put him at ease. I've only talked to him for a couple minutes at this point, but I can already tell that there's something different about him. He's clearly a noble, from his polished look and facial features, but he's not like the ones I've heard about. The last Wizard King was the uncle of our actual King, Augustus Kira, and he would never venture out of the noble realm, or even the castle. But here was Julius Novachrono, talking to _me,_ a commoner, with genuine interest. Maybe something's wrong with him... but he actually seems to have some humility within him. 

He stares at me as I smile, them blinks twice before clearing his throat again. "So, ah-" He gestures at the rocks by the side of the river. "The _real_ reason I wanted to talk to you is- well, you can probably guess."

 _I'm pretty sure he's given me about four reasons for meeting me so far,_ I think to myself, but he's right. He probably wants to talk about my strange situation, and the unfamiliar mark on my head that's definitely _not_ forbidden magic. "Right, of course, sir."

He laughs a little at the formality. "Julius, please."

Julius goes and sits down on _my_ usual rock, taking a moment to inhale the fresh air through his nose, sighing loudly when he's done. "I spend way too much time in the city," he says to no one in particular before redirecting his attention to me. "Now... William told me a little bit, but I want you to start from the beginning." His eyes twinkle, and he points at my forehead. "Tell me everything about _that."_

And I do. Everything from the mark my father had to how I could never conjure up more than a candle's-worth of fire until yesterday. I told him about how my dad fought, how he apparently drew from some remote power source that was somehow connected to his birthmark. "The Diamond Mage seemed to recognize the mark!" I add. "My father's Grimoire didn't have a Clover symbol on it, either."

"That's very interesting." Julius's eyes narrow as he contemplates everything I just told him, elbows resting on his knees. Even though it's nice to have someone to talk to about this, his constant questioning makes me a little nervous and I've started picking at the flowers around us to distract myself. There's a pile of petals at my feet now. "I've never heard anything about this symbol, but the Diamond Mage should cough something up when we question him. I have a feeling that it's some sort of sealing spell, and it kept you from using your full, magical potential."

My hands freeze, in the middle of stripping another flower of its petals. "A sealing spell?" I repeat. "Who would want to cast something like that on me? My father wouldn't do that-"

"He wouldn't, yes," Julius agrees. "But he knew about it, didn't he?"

He's right, Dad always said something would happen to me when I was this age. "If he knew that much about the spell..."

"He went through the same thing. It's genetic," Julius finishes my sentence, looking back up at me excitedly. "My question is, what kind of place produces people with a seal on their magic until they're older?"

What kind of place, indeed. The pieces seem to fit together well, but I'm still left with a multitude of questions. _What kind of situation have I been dragged into?_ The last petal falls from the flower, leaving me to stare down at the empty stem as I become lost in my thoughts. _Now that_ _I have this power, what does my future hold? Should I pursue the truth? Or is that just going to get me into more trouble?_ My mother's crooning voice suddenly invades my mind, drowning out all hope. 

_"You were never meant to be anything more than what I need you to be. So stay by my side, for the rest of your life."_

My discomfort and confusion is showing on my face, but I snap out of it when Julius suddenly moves, plucking the stem out of my hand with nimble fingers. "Watch this," he says, the sparkle back in his eye. The stem glows blue for a moment, and I watch in awe as the petals, one by one, float back up from the ground and reattach themselves to their initial spots. I have no idea how he's doing it, or what kind of magic he has. _Plant magic? Healing magic? He's the Wizard King, so it's got to be something more than that._

Before I can react, he takes the flower and tucks it behind my ear. "There." My brain short-circuits for the _second_ time today as he stands up and brushes himself off. "Well, it seems like we have a mystery on our hands..." He turns around and smiles down at my dumb-struck expression, not betraying his inner thoughts at all. "It'll give me something to do, I need something to distract myself from all the work." Julius laughs loudly at his own idea. _Does he really have time for this? He's the Wizard King, after all! He really is eccentric._ He offers a helping hand, and I take it as I stand up. "I'll let you know what I find out from the Diamond mages, the next time we see each other."

 _Next time? Next time?!_ "You can't be serious! You'd come all the way back out here?" I ask him, feeling defensive on his behalf for some reason. He just laughs it off once again. "No, I won't come back _here_ ," he replies cryptically. "You'll be living closer to the capital soon, after all."

That takes me by surprise. "...what do you mean?"

"You're taking the magic knight's exam again, right?"

_The magic knight's exam..._

For a moment, something flickers in my chest, a long forgotten flame of desire, the desire for something more than my life has presented me with so far. I remember the disappointment I felt on that day, the day my dream was shattered, along with the rest of my life. If I leave now... my mother will never forgive me. _But, sh_ _e's not going to forgive me, whatever I do. I ruined her life, remember?_

_Again._

"Again?" I snap out of it and look back up at him. "Wait... you remember me?" The notion seems impossible, I didn't do anything to stand out last time I took the test. 

Julius smiles his usual, cryptic smile. "How could I ever forget that god awful popcorn joke?" He wrinkles his nose at the memory, but there's not even an ounce of malice in his eyes. His gaze lingers for a moment longer before he turns to walk away, raising his hand for a casual farewell. "See you."

I finally shake off my shock and open my mouth to respond, but I blink and he's gone.

It only takes me until that evening to decide what to do. The magic knights file on out of town, and many people show up to say goodbye. William waves at me before being ushered away by Yami, yelling "See you soon!" as he goes. 

The encounter with the Wizard King earlier reminded me of that chance meeting with Mereoleona, all those years ago. When I woke up this morning in a world where my father was dead, it felt like I would never be believed in again. All I had left was my mother, who had decided my fate long ago. But that's not true, is it? William had told me, after the exam: " _I'll be waiting for you in the Grey Deer."_ And Lyra, who was the same as my mother before, grew to be my most passionate cheerleader. _"You can always try out again, right?"_

And now... someone I could have never imagined even _noticing_ me was encouraging me to join the magic knights.

_I'm not supposed to disobey a direct order from the Wizard King, right?_

All these people, all those moments... they gave me the strength to pack my bags the next morning and run out the door.

I only make it as far as the next block before I hear someone yelling my name. "Where do you think you're going?" I skid to a stop and turn around to see my mother. This is the first time I've faced her since my father died. Her eyes are puffy and red, her hair bedraggled and oily. Lyra runs up behind her, begging for her to come back to bed. "Auntie, you aren't well, you need to rest-"

"You're running off again, aren't you?" Mother accuses as she rips her arm out of Lyra's tender grasp. I gulp, not knowing what to say. She hit it right on the nose. "...you can't."

I stay silent, before redirecting my gaze to the ground at my feet. "...I have to."

"What do you mean?" Her voice rises shrilly. "You _don't_ have to! You need to stay here! I need you! And your fiance-"

"Don't act like you actually care," I suddenly snap, my voice rising over hers. "All you've ever wanted was to marry me off to someone so I can pump out children, right? And if you can make a little money by selling me to some old man, that's even better!" I grit my teeth, starting to get angry. "Dad didn't want that life for me! He wanted me to follow my dream!"

Her eyes flash with some volatile emotion, something I've grown used to over the years. That look usually precedes a slap to the face, but she's standing too far away from me to do so.

"Because of you... I lost everything!" she says, her voice wavering. "And now I've lost my husband, too, because of _your_ recklessness! If you _ever_ want to be forgiven... you need to come back, _right now."_

I know it's not my fault. I know I shouldn't feel bad. But tears well up in my eyes anyway, a bubble of guilt ready to explode within me. _No... Think about your future. It's not here. It's out there._

My mother has lost almost everything. If I leave, she'll lose everything she had left. It'll break her. But if I _ever_ want the chance to be happy again, I need to leave. I can't forgive her for the life she tried to snatch away from me, even if that means destroying the life that remains here.

I catch Lyra's eye. Despite the tense situation, she's smiling at me, and mouths one word: _Go._

"...I don't want you to forgive me. Goodbye, mom."

She screams my name desperately, her voice breaking, but I don't look back. I just walk away, as fast as I can, until I can't hear her voice any longer.

_It's done... I escaped._

I smile to myself as I leave the border of my town, and head off into the wilderness. It'll take a long time to get to the Capital without the family broom, but I think a walk through the woods is exactly what I need right now. As I walk, the image of my mother fades, replaced with the faces of the people who encouraged me to do this. 

_I will do this..._

_I have the power now, after all._

_I_ will _become a magic knight!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 👀👀 uh oh


	10. the crimson lion kings

_Things I've learned about myself lately:_

_1\. My magic has definitely grown stronger. I destroyed a tree in the forest the other day when I was practicing. I have too many spells to know what to do with._

_2\. Flaming Condor is DOPE_

_3\. I need to stop drinking alcohol on my nights off_

_4\. I keep having strange dreams about the Wizard King?_

_5\. I'm glad I left. REALLY, really glad._

When I left home for good, there was about 3 months left until the next Magic Knights exam, something I didn't take into account when packing. I needed a source of money, and fast! By the time I got to Kikka, one of the castle towns, my first priority was finding a part time job. Somehow I ended up in the same inn that Lyra and I visited three years ago, and the owner allowed me to stay in one of the rooms if I waited tables and mixed some drinks. The nice bartender from before didn't seem to be working here anymore, unfortunately. I would kill for another one of those weird green drinks.

Life settled down into a routine after that. I would sleep in after my long night shift, then wake up to clean the place up. The owner would give me some money so I could go out and pay the butcher for tonight's meat, then pay a visit to the brewery to order more kegs of beer. Just walking into that storehouse made my mouth water (I really have a problem, don't I?). One of the brewers actually has _beer magic._ Beer magic?! I'm not sure what he does, but I'm not going to complain. 

After those errands, I'm usually allowed to do what I want for a couple of hours, before my dinner shift starts at 7:00pm. Usually I just wander around and window shop. The owner sometimes gives me a bonus so I can go out and buy nice things for myself, since I arrived in town with very few possessions. Soon, I actually have a selection of clothes and tools in my small attic room.

I have Sundays off. Back at my hometown, we would all go to church, but I elect to go spend time training myself instead nowadays. Morning til dusk, I try out each of the new spells in my Grimoire, relishing the feeling of magic as it flows through me. All things considered, I'm very lucky that this happened. Without the mark on my head, which appeared after the sealing spell was broken, I would still be as weak as I was before. Now that I knew there was a mystery behind it all, I didn't want to step back and stop looking. _This is too interesting to ignore._

The pain of my father's death has subsided slightly, now just a dull ache in the back of my mind. It's surprising, how little he crosses my mind, but I bet he would have wanted it that way. _"Don't worry about me... I'm just happy to see you chasing your dream!"_

It really feels like I've been born into an entirely new life, one where I can be myself without worrying about upsetting my mother, or dishonoring my family. I drink. I make friends. I flirt with customers at the inn. I even kiss one after my shift, but we're both so drunk that I barely remember it. _My first kiss! I don't even remember if it was good or not!_ Over time, I become more comfortable in my own skin, cracking jokes and acting silly whenever I can. Whenever the inn erupts into laughter at one of my lame jokes, it makes my little heart soar. No one really cares about the mark on my forehead, I think they all assume that it's some kind of weird tattoo. People in the city seem to be much more tolerant of that kind of thing.

My room is small and run-down, but it serves its purpose. It only has two pieces of furniture in it, being a desk and a twin sized bed. The bed is a little too short for me so I have to sleep in the fetal position, but the mattress is surprisingly comfy. I write letters to Lyra all the time, telling her about my new life. She writes back with updates about her baby and husband (apparently she's pregnant again! Lyra, you rascal!). Mother hasn't taken my departure well, as I expected, and hardly leaves her room any more. She's still fairly young, and pretty, so it wouldn't be hard to marry again. However, I don't really care. For once in my life, I get to be selfish, and that's exactly what I'm going to do. 

I never go to sleep before midnight. The inn doesn't slow down until 11:30pm, and the last part of my shift is spent cleaning up. Then, I go upstairs and collapse directly into my bed. I'm usually at least tipsy by this point (the owner doesn't mind if we drink a little during our shift), so it doesn't take long for me to knock out. Before, I would remember my dreams quite vividly, but nowadays they're more vague and abstract. Only a few images remain in my memory when I wake up the next morning, and I don't care enough to focus on remembering. One particularly weird dream had me face to face with the Wizard King, who was looming above me, but not in an ominous way. He was smiling, his lips moving to form words I couldn't hear. I woke up the next day with a strange feeling in my stomach that didn't go away until I took a cold bath. 

So the days stretch on into weeks, and the weeks into months, and it's finally the night before my next Magic Knights Exam. Even though I am _much_ better prepared this time around, I can't help but feel nervousness gnawing at my stomach as I serve drinks at the inn. I spent the entire morning practicing, with the permission of my boss, of course, but doing so has really tired me out. I almost mess up three orders in a row, laughing off my incompetence as some kind of self-deprecating joke. My thoughts are consuming me, and the owner snaps me out of it eventually with a tap on the back. "Hey, you alright?"

I blink, then nod quickly. "Yeah, yeah, just... I have a lot on my mind."

The owner sighs but nods understandingly. "I get it... this could be your last night as a civilian, right?"

"...Yeah!" I can't help but smile at the thought. The owner claps me on the back before spotting something behind me. "Hey, can you go take care of that?" I look at where they're pointing and see an old lady sitting in the corner. She's playing cards with two others, and as I watch they exchange what looks to be a very large sum of money. "She can't be gambling in here!"

I begrudgingly agree, not thrilled about kicking some old lady out onto the street, but hey, we're supposed to be a respectable establishment. So, I summon all the confidence I can and saunter on over. "Hey, you three," I scold. "Sorry to break up the party, but we can't have you gambling in here. This isn't a casino, you know!"

The men mumble something sheepishly and avert their eyes from me. I think they've lost a lot of money tonight and are looking for a way out of the game, and I just happen to be their savior. The old woman doesn't give up so easily. "Aw, come now, you should join us!" she suggests, patting the seat next to her. "I'll teach you how to play Dead Man's Poker!"

That actually sounds kind of interesting. "Huh? What's that-" I catch myself and shake my head. "No, stop distracting me!" I stick my finger on the table to exert some type of authority, right onto the king card she had just placed down. "I'm serious, lady. If my boss sees me gambling, I'll get fired. I'll get you a drink on the house if you agree to not cause any more trouble." The two guys seem pretty into the idea. I take my finger off of her card, revealing a scorch mark burned into the heart of the king. "Deal?"

The woman stares at the card for a moment before flashing a smile up at me. "Of course! I'd love a drink, dearie." Her eyes twinkle.

Glad that I didn't have to get mean this time, I turned away and quickly retrieved three beers for the occupants of the "gambling den." The men thank me profusely for the drink (and for saving them from bankruptcy). The old woman just chuckles into the bottom of her mug, drinking pretty fast for someone her age. "Thank you, young lady!"

"No problem!" I turn away to resume my job when I hear her call after me one last time.

"Good luck on the exam tomorrow!"

It doesn't occur to me until later, but how on earth does she know that I'm taking the exam tomorrow? I've never met that woman in my life. However, I've already curled up in my bed and drifting off to sleep when the thought passes through my drowsy mind. I intentionally didn't drink much this evening, wanting to stay fresh for the exam tomorrow. Horatio appears in my dream that night, mocking me and saying that I'm never going to be picked by any squad ever. _"No one will ever acknowledge you, Candlestick!"_

 _It's too late... many people already have._ I blow his image away with a breath of fire. 

* * *

Luckily for me, my performance the next morning goes way better than my attempt three years ago. My magic control, evolution, and creation tests go very smoothly, and I do even better on the power test than I did before. I keep glancing up at the captains, trying to get a read on their thoughts. A lot of them are smiling and look interested as I finally take the stage for the last 1 on 1 test. 

My opponent is a couple years younger than me. In fact, I'm one of the older examinees today, being almost 19 at this point. Most people give up after their second or 3rd try, thinking that they've done everything they could at that point. I gave up after only one try, after all, so I can't judge them. However, I don't intend on giving up this time. 

I don't know what kind of magic this kid has, but I'm not about to stand around and find out. _I can't use Flaming Talon again, that's much too short-range,_ I think as the attendant mage yells for us to start. _But I don't want to give him any openings, either. What if he has water magic? I need to end this immediately._

I feel a little bad for him as I unleash Flaming Condor, the audience gasping as it takes flight from my hand. In a second or two, the match is over, and a pack of medical mages run out to drag the guy off out of sight. A few people clap for me, but most of them are silent. I glance back up at the captain's area to see them exchanging glances. A few of them are smiling, to my great relief. _Maybe I actually impressed them this time!_ I think hopefully as I walk off into the shade to cool off. 

An hour later, we all walk back into the middle so the captains can select who they want for their squads. The sun has dipped low in the sky by now, casting everything in deep orange, and the captains appear shadowed as they all gaze down at us ominously. "Number one!"

I got here early this time, so I'm number 34 instead of 118 like last time. I don't have enough time to get super nervous, which I'm thankful for, but I also don't have enough time to prepare myself for when they do call my number. "Number 34!"

 _Oh shit!_ I barely have enough time to think before I step forward out of the crowd and look up at the captains. I can't read the expressions on their shadowy faces any more, so I'm left in complete suspense as the attendant asks for any offers. I'm tempted to close my eyes like I did last time, to somehow protect myself from the fear of rejection that had started to fill up inside me. However, I can't bring myself to do so this time around. I've changed. Before even taking this test, I knew what the result would be. 

Several of the Captains raise their hands, and my heart skips several beats. _I did it! I passed!_ I think to myself, a wide grin appearing on my face. After a quick count, I see that four of them have their hands up: The Coral Peacocks, the Purple Orcas, and- The Grey Deer?! The best squad in the kingdom, they want _me_ to join their ranks! For a moment, I'm tempted to choose them, thinking of William. _"I'll be waiting for you in the Grey Deer."_ However... I've already made up my mind. _I'm sorry, William... but I want to blaze my own trail. If I'm truly going to begin the life I'm meant to live, I know what I have to choose._

"I would like to join the Crimson Lion Kings!" I announce, trying to keep my voice steady as I threaten to pass out from joy. Fernanleon Vermillion smiles and lowers his hand, giving me an approving nod. I can barely contain myself as I walk back into the crowd to wait out the rest of the ceremony. I glance around the arena's seating area, even though I've checked it several times by now. The Wizard King himself is not here, sadly, but I'm sure he'll be happy to find out that I managed to pass the exam this time. 

Finally, it's over. Many of the examinees were trudging out solemnly, having been rejected by all of the captains. _I hope they come and try again,_ I think, remembering back to how bad I felt when I failed. _There's always hope, as long as you keep trying. I finally learned that lesson today, after far too long._ The reality starts to sink in, causing my heart to thump loudly. I did it... I actually did it. Starting today, I join the ranks of one of the prestigious Magic Knights squads, and begin to shape my own life. _My life..._ No one else will ever decide anything for me, never again. _Dad would be so happy... I'm sure Lyra will be, too!_ I remind myself to write to her later. 

"Hey there!"

I turn around to see Captain Fernanleon walking towards me, a smile on his face. He looks rugged, his red hair and beard unkempt. His eyes are the same shade of blue as Mereoleona's were. He wears a blue robe underneath his cloak, secured by a sash. "It's getting dark, I'll have a spatial mage take us home right away." Two of the others he chose today, a girl and a boy, come shuffling up to join us. I nod silently, not exactly sure what to say. This man is royalty, after all, yet he chose _me,_ a commoner, to be in his squad. "... Captain," I quickly say, grabbing his attention. "I'm very grateful that you raised your hand today." I smile. "It's always been my dream to join the Crimson Lions. I won't disappoint you. "

Fernan mirrors my smile, showing me that I have nothing to fear. "Don't mention it. The three of you are here because you impressed me today. Your rock magic, root magic, and flame magic were all astounding. That being said-" His gaze suddenly hardened, and I feel intimidated. "Life isn't going to be easy, just because you've made it this far. I expect perfection from each and every one of my Knights. Do you understand?"

The three of us stand up straight. "Yes, sir!"

He grins, showing off one sharp canine. "Good! Let's go home!"

... _home... home!_

It's very late by the time we get back, and I'm shown to my room immediately. "Be up early tomorrow for training!" I'm told before the door slams. My roommate is the other new girl, a 16-year-old with a bob of black hair that seems to defy gravity with its curls. She introduced herself to me earlier as Alana, but we don't exchange many words as we get ready for bed. Our room is much larger than the one I had at the inn, or any room I've ever slept in, for that matter. The bed is long enough for my legs this time, pushed up against one of the two windows that adorn the walls. A small desk sits at the opposite end near the door. Under the bed is a wide trunk for our clothes and belongings. _Is this what royalty gets to enjoy every day?_ I think to myself, before spotting something hanging off the back of my desk chair.

My breath catches in my throat as I take a step closer. Slowly, I reach out and lift it up so I can see it clearly in the candlelight. 

It's a cloak... a dark, vermilion cloak with the emblem of a flaming lion on the back. The message is clear, filling my heart with more joy than I could have ever imagined. 

_"Welcome... to the Crimson Lion Kings."_

I made it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Finally the story can really start going! This is a slow burn after all lol. I promise that things are going to get more exciting from here, so enjoy!


	11. the captain's son

_Dear Lyra,_

_It's only been a week and a half since I joined the Crimson Lions, but I'm already going on my first mission tomorrow! Captain Fernan hasn't given me the details yet, but I'm sure it'll be exciting! So far, I just get sent on errands for the older knights, so this will be a nice change of pace. I've been paired up with an older member for the mission, too: the Captain's own son, Fuegoleon Vermillion! Who knew that I would be hanging out with royalty? He seems very serious and stoic, but he's only four years older than me so hopefully he loosens up._

_That reminds me- there's_ a lot _of men here. You would love it! Just kidding. But seriously, most of the knights are loud, rowdy men, but they don't treat the few women any differently. In a way, I feel like I needed to surround myself with this kind of person, so I can really come out of my shell. This is my life now, so I better get used to it! Not that I'm complaining. No one asks me anything about the symbol on my head, which I'm very thankful for. I'm really interested to find out more about it, but for now I have a job to do!_

_I hope you're doing well. I can't wait for your next baby to be born! Tell everyone that I miss them._

* * *

The Crimson Lions headquarters is built like a palace, and is definitely the most refined structure I've ever stepped foot in. It surrounds a large courtyard with a huge fountain in the middle. There are four main areas: one for the communal areas such as the cafeteria, kitchens, and meeting rooms, another for the men and women's dormitories and bathrooms, another for the quarters of the really high ranking knights, such as the Captain, and then one more for everything else. So far, my schedule has been dominated by our early-morning training regimens, which start at 5 am sharp (like, they _start_ then... I have to wake up even _earlier_ than that!). After enduring whatever torture Fuegoleon has dreamed up for us that morning, we head to the cafeteria and easily eat enough food to feed 3 large countries. After that, it's errand time. It's _always_ errand time for me, one of the lowest ranking members of the squad (which makes sense, since I just joined a week ago). My official rank is Junior Magic Knight, 5th class, but I'm hoping to raise it soon for the sake of my dignity.

Not that I'm complaining... I'm lucky enough just to be here. Every morning, I wake up and have to remind myself that I'm not dreaming: I actually _am_ a member of a magic knights squad. I can't help but smile during the arduous training. This is my life now, and I'm going to live every single day to it's fullest.

Fuegoleon Vermillion is 22 years old, but he acts like a 50 year old man. He's the captain's son, so he's been put in charge of training all of the recruits. The aura he puts out is extremely serious, befitting a man of his status. He's much taller than me with straight red hair, a deep, loud voice, and a strange mark right above his nose. It's a lot smaller than mine, but it looks like it's been burnt into his skin as well. The strangest thing about him is that, very morning at breakfast, he eats a single piece of toast and one cup of black coffee. I don't know where he gets all of his focused energy; perhaps from his magic. 

A lot of the Crimson Lions have some sort of fire magic, so much so that it surprised me at first. If not fire, it's something down-to-earth like sandstone or iron magic. They have an aesthetic, and by god are they sticking to it. Both Fuegoleon and his father have flame magic that's a lot like mine. However, when I see them use it, I'm taken aback by how much more matured and focused it seems. _I have plenty of power within me, but I need to channel it into something more sophisticated._

Most of the senior knights get to skip out on the morning training, so they're already leisurely eating by the time the rest of us come trudging in the day that I'm supposed to go on my first mission. They chuckle into their coffee mugs at the sight of our exhaustion, but they aren't unfriendly; they were once young like us, after all. After getting my food, I sit down in my usual spot with the other junior knights, next to my roommate Alana. She hasn't told me anything about herself other than the fact that she has Limestone Magic (Limestone! I don't even know what that is, but it sounds cool!), and comes from a village in the Forsaken Realm. Her father was the mayor of her town, so she had the money to come up to take the exam. She's very quiet, but not unfriendly, and we exchange _hellos_ and _goodbyes_ whenever we pass each other as we come and go from our room.

I make quick work of my breakfast so I can take my time sipping my coffee, but I'm interrupted by a tap on my shoulder. I look up to see Fuegoleon looking down at me sternly. "Come on, we should get going," he says without any pleasantries. "The Captain wants to brief us before we leave."

This is the first time that he's spoken to me directly. I quickly chug the rest of my coffee and hop up to my feet, smoothing out the cloak (!!) around my shoulders. "Yes sir!"

Just as he said, Captain Fernan is waiting for us up in his office, and gives us a quick wave as we enter. "There you are," he greets. "This won't take long, it's a fairly simple mission."

"We're eager to hear," Fuegoleon answers. I stay silent for the time being and listen intently.

"The Royal Guards have been tracking a fugitive for days now. I'm not exactly sure what he did, but they want him captured, fast. Apparently he could be dangerous. They've turned the case over to the magic knights. The Silver Eagles are supposed to complete the investigation, and you two-" He points at us. "-are going to go catch the guy today."

 _Catching a fugitive? That sounds exciting, but I wonder if it's a bit too much for my very first mission?_ As if he can hear my thoughts, Fernan turns to me. "Think you can handle that? I usually wouldn't give such a big mission to a newbie, but you'll be in good hands with Fuegoleon here." I quickly nod. "I'll be fine, sir!"

"Good!" He holds up a piece of paper, letting it unfold. It's a map of the kingdom. "The Silver Eagle's investigation lead us to this ruined castle," he explains, pointing at a mark on the map. "It's very likely that our guy is holed up in there by himself. This castle has been abandoned for more than 100 years, so some of the areas inside might be unstable. I predict that will be the most danger you face." He hands the map to Fuegoleon. "Understand?"

"Yes sir!" we both answer in unison, giving our Captain a short salute. My heart is pounding with excitement and a little apprehension. But as long as everything goes according to plan, we should be fine. Without any more waiting around, the pair of us leave the room and head out to find a Spatial mage who can take us where we want to go. Most squads had at least one or two with that kind of power, for the sake of convenience. Our guy takes a look at the map and shrugs. "I can take you here-" He points at a town about five miles away from our desired destination. "It shouldn't be a long trip by broom from there."

Fuegoleon sighs but nods understandingly. "Right, if that's the best you can do."

The mage nods. "Call me on your communicator when you're done, I'll bring you back."

He opens his Grimoire and flips through the pages, and the ground beneath us starts to glow. "See ya!" With a flick of his fingers, the spell activates, and we're suddenly standing in the middle of some village out in the boonies.

I look around quickly, taking in our surroundings. A few of the villagers around us gasp in shock at the sight of two Magic Knights suddenly appearing in their town. "Don't worry, there's no trouble here," Fuegoleon announces. His voice is really good at projecting to every corner of the square. "We need a broom, though."

Someone produces one, and we can finally get going on our mission. "You can fly, right?" Fuegoleon asks me, and I nod. "Yep!"

"Good, because I need to look at the map."

And with that, we're off! I try not to go too fast, hoping to avoid any embarrassment in front of my captain's son. For the first couple minutes, Fuegoleon studies the map, one hand holding onto my shoulder for support. "Alright, as long as we stay going this direction, we can't miss the ruins," he proclaims, tucking the map into his pocket. His other hand joins its partner on my other shoulder, clenching slightly as the broom wobbles in the wind. "You're pretty good at this for a newbie," he comments. "You fly much?"

"It's the only fun thing to do back home," I reply, having to raise my voice a little over the wind. He can't see it, but I'm beaming a bit from the praise. "Other than going to the tavern."

He makes a sound that almost resembles a laugh, but it's more like a scoff. _He's probably never been to a tavern in his life, he's royalty, after all._ "How old are you?"

"18, going on 19 soon though."

"So, you took the exam more than once?"

"Twice. Once when I was 15, and once now."

"Why did you wait 3 years?"

He's sure asking a lot of questions all of the sudden. I wonder if he's genuinely interested in my life, or if he's just bored. "I live pretty far away from the capital. Plus..." I frown a little. "Family stuff."

"I see." He doesn't push the subject further, for which I am grateful. "The captain told me that you have flame magic, too, and that it was quite impressive."

"Oh?" I glance back at him to see that he has a small smile on his face. "I'm honored that he thought so."

He nods. "I'm looking forward to seeing it today."

I suddenly become hyper-aware of the hands he still has resting on my shoulder, and turn my face away before he can see me blush at the compliment. "Thanks... that means a lot." I decide to focus my mind on flying, trying to ignore the weird embarrassment I suddenly felt. _I've talk to him for like 5 minutes total, I'm definitely_ not _getting a crush on him! He's not my type anyway, I don't really like redheads._ I'm just not used to people showing genuine interest in my powers, that's all. Julius's face pops into my head at the thought, but I'm distracted when Fuegoleon points ahead. "There, look!"

The ruins finally emerge from the horizon. It looks like someone built a castle out of a deck of cards, then let a few layers collapse in on itself. "Where should I land? We could search from the bottom up, or top down, your choice."

"Hmm..." Fuegoleon rubs his chin. "Actually, you decide."

 _Uh oh, is this a test?_ I think before making my decision. "I'll land on the roof. Top down."

"Good. That's what I was going to choose."

I make our decent as smooth as I can, and we skid to a stop on one of the exposed rooms. The roof has caved in here, but we can plainly see a set of stairs leading down into the ruins. "Leave the broom here, we'll come get it later," Fuegoleon commands, and I lean it up against the wall. "When we catch the fugitive, I'll call to have us transported back right away."

"He wasn't able to transport us to this spot, though," I bring up. "Doesn't that mean that he won't be able to bring us back, either?"

Fuegoleon shakes his head. "Each spatial magic user has a different set of rules to play by. He told us he would bring us back, and I trust him to do that."

I shrug. "Interesting... but kind of weird."

"I know." He scans the area, his hand resting on the Grimoire at his hip. "Come on, let's go inside."

I let him lead the way as we descend the stairs. It's very dark inside. "Can you produce some light?"

"Yep!" Glad to do something, I open my hand and conjure a bright flame, casting the corridor in blue light. Fuegoleon seems a bit surprised. "Blue flame?" he asks, pausing to look at it more closely. This is the first time he's seen my magic, so I'm a little self conscious about it. However, his eyes gleam with interest. "I've only seen one other person who could make fire that hot."

I blink, interested. "Oh? Who was it? And... hot?"

"Blue flame is hotter than red flame, and white fire is hotter than even that," he explains. I'm surprised that I didn't know that already; I thought my fire was just colored differently, but apparently it's just really, really hot. "My sister can produce blue flame in some of her attacks."

 _My sister._ I open my mouth to excitedly reply that I've actually _met_ Mereoleona, but we both freeze when a sound echoes from down the hall. "Who goes there?" Fuegoleon barks, turning away from me to stare into the dark beyond the reach of my light. I stand right behind him, my heart pounding fast as we hear footsteps coming closer. _Is it the fugitive? Is he going to come right for us? That would make things easier._

Sadly, it's not the fugitive. Two people step into the light, wearing the furry robe of the Silver Eagles squad. As my eyes travel up the leader's body, nothing can prepare me for what I see when I reach his head: Long, silver hair, with his bangs _braided_ down the center of his face. _Who the Hell is that? And who told him that hairstyle was a good idea?_ I wonder, glancing up at Fuegoleon. He looks a bit annoyed. "Nozel Silva... I thought the Silver Eagles were done here," he inquires suspiciously.

 _Silva... that's another royal family,_ I think to myself. Nozel Silva doesn't smile, his piercing gaze flickering down to me for only a moment. "We decided to take matters into our own hands. We found this place, so we'll be the ones to catch the fugitive."

"Ah... so you're here to take the credit," Fuegoleon concludes. Nozel does not speak up to correct him. "We should work together for now, though. Four people can search this place better than just two."

"For now," Nozel agrees, obviously not planning on giving up the credit. The person behind him steps forward, wearing the same robe. I'm even more shocked to see their face than I was to see Nozel's strange braid.

"...Horatio?"


	12. the oil mage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I try my hand at writing action again... please let me know if you have any action-writing tips, or if you saw something you liked!
> 
> 2\. I used a picrew to make what I envision the reader to look like... of course, she's whatever you imagine, it's just my personal visualization (spoiler alert... she's too cute for this world T.T )

["Oh no, she's cute" -Julius probably](https://cdn.picrew.me/app/share/202005/332801_EOeTVPv2.png)

"...Horatio?"

I shouldn't be surprised to see him, but I am for some reason. This boy- no, this man used to be my biggest tormentor, the biggest obstacle that I needed to surpass, but now he seemed oddly...

irrelevant?

It's been a while since I even thought about him. So much has happened since he joined the magic knights and disappeared from our town, and _I've_ changed as well. Maybe I'm not so much surprised from seeing him, but surprised at my initial, guttural reaction to feel fear and shame when his eyes meet mine. 

However, he seems to be even more shocked than I am. "...you've _got_ to be kidding me," he growls. " _You..._ made it into the Magic Knights?" His thick eyebrows knot together as he struggles to comprehend the possibility that yes, I did in fact make it into the Magic Knights. The reality eventually sinks in, probably from the sight of the Crimson cloak around my shoulders.

Both Nozel and Fuegoleon look between the two of us, sensing the tension. "You know him?" Fuegoleon asks me, glancing back at Horatio.

"Yeah... we come from the same town." I'm the first one to reply as Horatio purposely avoids eye contact. His face is stony, looking pale in the blue light.

"Well, let's not cause any problems, alright?" For some reason, Nozel's scolding is directed towards me. I want to defend myself, but Nozel is both a royal and several ranks higher than me, so I hold my tongue. "We still have a lot of ground to cover here. Come on, Fuegoleon."

The two older guys lead the way, Horatio and I forced to walk next to each other. I keep glancing over at him, seeing that his expression hasn't changed. _Should I say something?_ I think to myself. _It's not like I'm unhappy to see him. Is he really going to get worked up over this? I bet if we exchange a few friendly words, he'll warm up a bit._ So, I clear my throat. "I'm actually glad to see you again, Horatio-"

"That's _intermediate knight 3rd class_ to you," he quietly snaps back, sparing me only the quickest of glances. His eyes linger on my forehead for a moment too long. "You have some nerve, showing up in front of me, you know," he continues in a whisper. "And anyway, what the hell is _that."_

 _"That_ is none of your business," I shoot back, feeling a little annoyed. "I thought you had matured, but apparently you're still hung up over things that happened years ago."

Horatio grit his teeth. That comment got to him a little bit. "...you're going to regret saying that, one day," he replies. "I'm surprised you managed to strengthen your magic... does that have something to do with that symbol? Or did you sleep with someone?"

"That's enough out of both of you." Fuegoleon suddenly turns his head to glare back at us. I wonder if this is his way of defending me. Either way I'm thankful, because I don't know how I would have responded to that last comment. "I want _silence_ until we find a lead, you hear me?"

"Yes sir," we both chorus, averting our eyes to the ground once again. My ears are hot, with either embarrassment or anger, I'm not sure. _I didn't use forbidden magic! And I definitely didn't sleep with anyone. He's made it so far, but he's_ still _insecure about his powers. Grow, up, Horatio._ My mental pep talk encourages me enough for my anger to dissipate, and I raise my head again to look down the corridor. The four of us follow its twists and turns, until it branches off into two paths. "You two, go left," Fuegoleon commands, pointing in that direction. "Holler if you find anything."

 _Wonderful! Now I have to be alone with him,_ I think to myself as we part ways. Horatio takes the lead, of course, glancing around each corner before we turn. "Don't touch anything unless I tell you to," he orders. I resist the urge to mock his bossy nature, electing to stay silent and follow close behind. This whole area is giving me the creeps, and I can't help but feel like we're being watched.

"So... how many Stars have you earned?" Horatio surprises me when he finally speaks up. "...stars?" I ask, not exactly sure what he's talking about. 

"You don't even know what Stars are?" Horatio rolls his eyes. _Hey, I've only been here for like a week!_ I want to say, but I hold my tongue once again and let him explain. "They're special honors given out by the Wizard King, if you perform well on missions. I've earned 30 in all." He smirks. _30 stars? Over 3 years? Is that supposed to be impressive?_ "Nozel and I will probably earn 8 stars together once we catch this guy. We're definitely on track to be the highest ranked squad at the end of the year." Of course, he has to include some sort of gloat at the end of his statement. 

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch," I warn, pausing for a moment as I hear a noise behind us. 

"What the Hell is that supposed to mean?" He turns to glare at me again, not picking up on the reason I stopped. "Look, it's not that I care about you getting into the Magic Knights, but if you keep acting defiant, then I'll have no choice but to-"

"Shut up-" I hold up my hand. He falls silent, probably out of shock more than anything epse, but this time he hears it too: soft footsteps and the sound of pages turning. A grimoire. "Fuegoleon?" I call, hoping to God that it's him coming to scold us again and not the enemy. "Who is that? Freeze!" I hold up my hand to illuminate the dark passage when all of the sudden a huge mass of black, sticky-looking objects stream out of the shadows. "Ah!"

Horatio thinks quickly for once, grabbing my shoulder as his Grimoire floats to life. "Gravity Magic: Center Shift!" The two of us are yanked backwards as we gravitate towards the opposite wall, just out of reach of the magical attack. I let out a pained cry as we hit the wall hard, and Horatio's spell releases. "Run!" For once, I listen to him, and we both sprint around the corner, having bought a little time, but I could tell that the magic would catch up to us soon. I look back to see it right on our heels. It takes the form of a mass of slimy ropes, twisting and contorting as they move. _What kind of magic is this? It's creepy!_ I think hurriedly. 

"Look, jump down there!" Horatio points at a set of stairs going down. We both sprint into the stairwell, but we realize an important factor too late: the stairs only last 3 steps before dropping down into a steep pit. We both scream as we fall down. Luckily, it's not far enough to kill us, but the weird slimy magic comes spilling over the side, threatening to splash down on us as we sit up from where we fell. Horatio grits his teeth and raises his hands. "Center shift!"

He manages to send the liquid back up to the top, but whoever is producing it keeps pushing it down. Slowly but surely, the mass begins to descend, while the two of us are trapped with nothing to do. 

"Eek!" A bit of it drips right next to my foot, and I jump back. "Have you ever seen this stuff before?"

Horatio shakes his head. "No, nothing quite like this. Don't let it touch you." He surprises me with how calm he's being, in stark contrast to our earlier conversation. _He's been a knight for three years, after all, so I guess he learned how to collect himself in the face of danger... you_ have _matured after all, Horatio. A little, at least._ Despite his warning, I bend down to take a closer look at the strange substance that dripped down, forming a small puddle. When it wasn't moving, it formed a liquid that had a weird shimmer to it, despite its black color. It had a distinct odor to it, an odor that was strangely familiar. _Wait... could it be...?_

"Hey?! What did I just tell you?" Horatio snaps, looking down from the approaching mass to see me poke my finger into the puddle. "That stuff could be poisonous!"

"It's not," I reply, holding up my finger. It's slippery, thin, and coats my skin. "It's oil." Back home, they would pump the stuff into barrels and roll them down into the mines, where it blew up the caves once ignited.

Horatio blinks, then goes and touches it as well. He sniffs his finger. "... you're right," he admits, scowling. "At least we know we can touch it..." He glances back above us. "But it might still be dangerous if we try to travel through it. It could drain our mana, or he could thicken it an drown us." 

"Well, then we have to destroy it." He looks down to see me pull out my Grimoire. I can't help but smile a little to myself. "Watch this... see for yourself how far I've come." I find the spell I'm looking for. "Fire Creation Magic: Blazing Spear!" The ball of fire in my hand suddenly sharpens and lengthens into a spear-like shape, which I grab firmly with my right hand. Letting out a yell, I aim and throw it straight upwards as hard as I can. It flies right through the oil mass, burning it up into nothing as it goes. "Horatio! Now!"

The fugitive mage was sure he'd won at this point, but froze when he saw a flaming spear shoot out of his quickly-dwindling mass of oil. "What?" he shouted, taking a step back from the edge just as both Horatio and I come sailing up, pulled by another magical gravity source. "Flaming Talon!" I kick off of the ceiling at go shooting right at the guy, my fists balled as blue flame courses around them. He only manages to take one more step back before my blow connects, and he goes flying down the hall. Horatio releases his spell and we both hit the ground running. The fugitive flew a couple meters into the hallway, hitting one of the walls hard enough to crack it. 

"Gravity Magic: Heavy Prison," Horatio says, casting one last spell. The fugitive crumples to the ground, bound to it by amplified gravity. "We did it!" I exclaim, balling up my fists excitedly. "We caught him!"

"Looks like you two _can_ work together, after all." We turn to see Fuegoleon and Nozel standing there. Fuegoleon looks a bit amused: he probably just saw this guy come flying out of no where. Nozel looks as sour as ever, though. "Impressive, for two commoners," the silver-haired man tells us.

Horatio clears his throat. "Well, _I'm_ the one who caught him in the end," he gloats, back to his old self. 

"Hey! I'm the one who knocked him out!" I shoot back, crossing my arms. 

"So? The Silver Eagles will still get the credit." Horatio turns his nose up at me. "And anyway, that was a hideous attack. You basically just punched him in the face."

Fuegoleon raises an eyebrow at that but says nothing, obviously a bit surprised that my attack had generated so much brute force. 

"So? It got the job done."

"So? You couldn't have done it without me."

"No, I couldn't have! But you couldn't have done it-"

"Enough!" We both freeze as Nozel speaks up, looking very annoyed at our antics. "We'll both write a report to account for what happened here, but the Crimson Lions will be the ones to bring in the fugitive." He sighs. "The Wizard King _did_ ask _them_ to do that part."

 _The Wizard King!_ My internal reaction to the mention of the man is slightly embarrassing, but I manage to keep a straight face. _He really asked us to do this himself?_ I can't help but feel very proud that we accomplished the task he gave us... the task he gave _me._ In the back of my mind, I remember his promise that we would see each other again. 

" _Leo Palma."_ A pair of flaming claws clamp down around our prisoner and lift him up, carrying him to Fuegoleon's side. "This is where we say goodbye, then," he says to Nozel. "We'll see who gets the most stars tonight." He pulls out the small communication device and opens it. "Hello? This is Fuegoleon. We've completed our mission, please bring us back."

 _"Yes, sir! I'll have you back here as soon as I scan your location."_ The answer comes quickly. Fuegoleon beckons for me to come stand closer, which I do, not wanting to be left behind. I look over at Horatio one last time, and even give him a quick smile. He hasn't said anything seriously rude since that quick battle, and I wonder if he's actually acknowledged my new strength. I don't have time to think about it; Nozel and Horatio disappear, and we're suddenly back in the courtyard. I hear Fuegoleon let out a short sigh of relief before stepping away from me. The captive floats along beside him. "At least it didn't take too long... the Captain was right. Everything went smoothly." He turns to look at me, and I straighten up out of respect. "It did... thank you for supervising me today."

"My pleasure." He gives me a small smile. "You did well today, I think father was right to pick you for this squad."

My heart leaps at the comment. "T-thank you, sir."

"Please, not sir. Fuegoleon is fine," he tells me, shaking his head a bit, amused. "You were quick and decisive. A good Magic Knight has to know how to quickly size up a situation and react to it, and that's exactly what you did today. Take the rest of the day off, I'll take care of him and the report."

"Thank you, Fuegoleon!" I answer quickly, letting myself smile out of relief. _Finally, a day off! This whole mission thing ended up panning out pretty well._ "Let me know how many stars we end up getting!"

"Of course." Fuegoleon turns to walk away, but pauses. "By the way, don't relax too much." He glances back at me and I see that he's back to his usual, stern self. "You still need to do your daily chore tonight. Don't forget." With that, he finally departs, walking out of sight. Once he's gone, I let out a groan.

"Dang it! I thought I would get out of doing dishes tonight!" Every junior knight had a daily chore to do, and mine was doing the dishes after dinner. The Crimson Lions ate like, well, lions, so there was always a lot of scraps and dirty dishes to put away. I let out a sigh and turned to walk inside the building, feeling happy despite Fuegoleon's reminder. 

_He was cooler than I expected, especially when he loosens up a bit. I think I'll enjoy working with him._ I can't help but smile, remembering his praise. _My life has changed so drastically in the last few months, but not more than this past week. But... I think this is a life I can finally get used to._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time... Chapter 13: The intruders. Our main character thinks she's done for the day, but two people show up and prove her wrong!


	13. the intruders

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1.This chapter was really fun to write! They remind me of college kids in a way lol. Let 👏 them 👏 have 👏 fun!
> 
> 2\. Speaking of college, this chapter may have been my outlet for all the fun I'm missing right now due to the quarantine. :( At least I can live vicariously through these characters lol

After the mission, I had a couple of hours of free time before my dreaded dinner-time duty. I was sweating like crazy after that fight, and also covered with oil stains, so a bath was in order after I ate lunch. I made a beeline for the bathroom and soon sunk down into the hot water, letting out a content sigh as my aching muscles rejoice. The baths are kept steaming hot, probably much hotter than is safe. Captain Fernan probably keeps it that way to "build character" or something like that. It took me by surprise the first time (causing my other female comrades to giggle at my reaction), but now the heat feels so good against my skin.

I hear a splash and open my eyes to see my roommate Alana has just gotten in as well, and quickly washes her face before looking back up at me. "You went on a mission today, right?" she asks. "What went down?"

"It went pretty well," I answer, leaning back against the side of the bath, stretching my legs a bit. I can barely see her face through all this steam. "We had to catch this fugitive that was hiding out in a ruin. He had oil magic!" I smirk and clench my fist. "I burnt right through it. I think Fuegoleon was impressed."

Alana's eyes widen a bit at my account. "Wow... I hope my first mission goes as well."

"Ooh, when is it? Tomorrow?"

"No, tonight actually." She groans and rubs her eyes as if she's feeling tired already. "I don't know the details, but it's some sort of night patrol with Gareth. I won't be back until like 4 in the morning."

I wince a little on her behalf. "Wow... well, maybe you'll be able to get out of the morning training."

"You're right, I didn't think about that." Alana smiles to herself, like a weight has been lifted from her shoulders. "That would be nice!"

I'm not feeling very hungry tonight, since I ate a sizable lunch, so I run upstairs to start writing a letter to Lyra about the mission today. Of course, I can't send anything until I know all the details, most importantly: how many stars am I going to receive? The thought of receiving an honor like that, _direct from the Wizard King,_ is very exciting to me. Of course, I know that in the grand scheme of things, I'm very insignificant, but part of me wants to believe that Julius would be proud to hear that I did well on my first mission. But after all, he's probably a busy man, I wouldn't blame him if he didn't have time to spare for thoughts about me. 

I write my letter really quickly, almost scribbling as I attempt to get every detail down on paper. I'm sure life back at home is fairly boring, plus I want Lyra to have a vivid story to tell the others. However, I only get about halfway through before an explosion suddenly shakes the entire building. I squeak and move quickly, barely able to keep my glass of water from spilling. What was that? An attack? I quickly leap up and run out down the stairs. People are yelling somewhere on the ground floor. "Intruders!"

 _Intruders? From where?_ I think as I descend the stairs and run out into the hall. Right outside the cafeteria, a gathering of knights, probably in the middle of dinner, are crowded around something. Smoke is in the air, so there must have been a fight, but it seems like it's ended by now. With some difficulty, I manage to push my way through to a spot where I can see, and gasp a little in shock at the two intruders.

"...Yami?! William?"

Yes, it's them, alright. Surrounded by angry Crimson Lions, the two men are kneeling on the ground in the middle of the crowd. William looks highly uncomfortable, but Yami just looks pissed. "This is all your fault," he mutters before catching sight of me. "You there, girl with the creepy thing on her forehead! Tell your friends that we're _not_ terrorists!"

"You know them?" one of the senior knights asks me. I wish I didn't, in this moment, but I nod. "Yeah." I scowl and look down at the two of them. "What are you doing here?"

"Yami wanted to go get drinks tonight, and I suggested that we come ask you to come along. You know, as a celebration." William is frowning from underneath his mask. I'm a little flattered that he thought about me, but that still doesn't explain why they're being treated like prisoners of war. William looks like he wants to be anywhere but here right now as half of the Crimson Lion squad glares down at him. "What did they do to deserve this treatment?"

"They're Grey Deer!" one of the others pipes up. "We can't just let other squads waltz onto our base!"

"Like we'd let one of our new recruits get taken away by the likes of you!" _Are they... trying to be protective of me?!_ The comment catches me by surprise, but I don't say anything, not wanting to be involved more than I already am. 

The others chorus their agreement. Yami isn't having it. "She'll have a lot more fun with us rather than staying in with you lot," he snaps. 

"What's going on here?" Everyone turns to see Captain Fernan standing there, looking very stern, not unlike his son. _Uh oh._ Someone explains the situation to him, and I feel like shrinking down into nothing as his gaze turns to me. _Why do I attract all this commotion all the time?_ "Fuegoleon _did_ give you the day off," he muses to my surprise. "As long as all your chores are done, I don't have a problem with it."

Yami lets out a loud laugh. "See? The old man gets it!"

Fernan shoots him a glare but can't really do anything about it. The other knights decide to give up at the permission of their captain and start to walk off to do their own evening activities. While I'm happy that no murders just took place, I'm still a little annoyed. "I'm trying n _ot_ to be a problem here, you know! Send a letter next time you come and I'll meet you outside."

Yami sighs and stands up with William. "If you wanted to avoid problems, maybe you should have joined the Grey Deer with us."

"Come on, Yami, she has her reasons, I'm sure." William chides softly before looking at me again. "Let's get going."

Even though this is all unexpected, and Yami's tone is rough, I'm still a bit touched by the fact that the two of them came at all. "Thank you for inviting me... I didn't think anyone would care this much, after all," I say sheepishly, rubbing the back of my neck and fighting a blush. "I'm not used to people wanting to celebrate my accomplishments."

"Well, get used to it," Yami butts in. "Can we get going, then?"

"If you help me do the dishes, that's the _one_ chore I have to do."

Yami makes a big stink about it, but William doesn't seem to mind. "It'll be quicker with three people anyway!" the masked man reminds him. He's right, with the three of us working together back in the kitchen, the mountain of work is basically vaporized instantly. The only holdup is when Yami thinks it would be funny to dump a bunch of soap foam on my head, causing me to throw my dishrag at him. William just laughs and continues to scrub plates. Even though this task is tedious, and this whole situation unexpected... for the first time in my life, I realize that I have _actual_ friends... not just family members, or coworkers, or patrons at a bar. _Friends._ Two men who've gone out of their way to celebrate my accomplishment. 

Finally, we're able to leave. "Hmm, something just occurred to me," Yami grumbles, pulling out a cigarette from nowhere and sticking it in his mouth. "My broom probably can't fit three people." He points to the thing, laying on the ground right in front of the base.

"Well, I'm sure it can handle us," William replies. "Come on, I'm hungry."

And so, the three of us manage to get airborne. Stuck between Yami and William, I start to wonder if this was actually a good idea. Yami doesn't seem to care much about his passengers' comfort, and we frequently get jerked around as he changes directions. William stays silent except for a few grunts of discomfort, holding onto my shoulders as tight as he can. "Ah!" We suddenly plunge down a few feet, losing altitude before Yami catches us. "Oops, zoned out there for a sec."

 _If this is how he drives sober, what's it going to be like on the way back?!_ I think to myself. "Please, Yami, I don't want to die before my first drink."

"Stop complaining, you're distracting me, forehead girl," he replies cheekily.

"I have a name, you know!" At least he isn't using _creepy forehead girl_ anymore.

"I know."

Fortunately, we touch down in a town not long after taking off, and I appreciate the feeling of solid ground underneath my feet. "This way." William points at a building nearby. It's very loud on the inside, I can already tell. "This is where we always go when we get our pay for the month." I haven't been paid for the first time yet, but I still have some money saved up from my job at the inn. "Good thing you brought your magic knights cloak, the owner gives us a discount."

"Plus, we're regulars," Yami adds, rearing to go.

Indeed, the host recognizes us as soon as we step foot into his establishment. "Yami! William! It's been a while!" He looks down at me. "You brought a new friend with you, eh?"

"Yep," he replies simply. "We'll have the usual."

"Of course! Right this way sire."

The three of us get ushered into tight booth, once again sitting between Yami and William. Yami is still unbelievably muscular, while William is much more slight and slim, so it's a bit weird trying to squeeze between the two of them. They're treating me like an old friend (which I'm thankful for), but I try not to knock my knee into either of theirs. "So..." I say after we've settled in. "Is there going to be alcohol?"

Yami lets out a loud laugh. "I like you already! Why else would we be here?" I can't help but smile myself.

A few minutes later, the waiters arrive with our food. I wasn't hungry earlier, but the sight of the absolute spread of food makes my mouth water. Bread, soup, chicken, pork, and something that I don't recognize at first. And of course, three large beers. Apparently my eyes are as wide as saucers, making Yami laugh at me again. William just chuckles and sips his beer slowly as we start to chow down. _They only come here once a month? I wish I could come here every day!_ I think as I chew as fast as I can, chasing everything down with the beer. _Is this what it's like to be a magic knight?_ For the next hour, I forget about the problems in my past, and even the mysteries of the present. It's just me, Yami, and William, enjoying each other's company and eating as much food as we possibly can. 

"Don't worry about paying for it," William tells me calmly as we finish off the last of the food and order one last round of drinks. Both Yami and I are starting to feel the effects, Yami much more so. I don't really get belligerent when I'm drunk (unless Horatio is around, apparently), I just get kind of... goofy. The food is helping my body get used to it, though. I blink slowly at his statement then quickly shake my head ten times. "No! I have enough money, I don't want to make you guys- _hiccup-_ pay for me or anything!"

"Don't sweat it, we're celebratin' you, remember?" Yami slings an arm over my shoulder to emphasize his point. I would usually shy away from such a gesture, but somehow I'm comfortable enough to relax into it. "It's 'lways boring with just the two of us, anyhow," He gestures at William, who shrugs without defending himself. "We're just as lucky tha' you came along as you are, forehead girl."

I feel my face heat up a little at the compliment, mostly from the alcohol pumping through my veins. "Oh? In that case, I suppose you two can treat me," I reply cheekily, earning another chuckle from Yami. "Thank you... for everything." I sober a little at the thought that they're being so kind to me right now. For most of my life, I forgot that people were actually capable of showing kindness.

William chuckles. "It's no problem... there used to be someone who treated the two of us to dinner all the time, as well."

That perks my curiosity a bit. "Oh? Who?" I wonder what could have happened to them. William said _used to_ after all.

"Julius!" Yami immediately answers, smirking to himself at the thought. "When he was captain! He used to come out with us all the time! What if he were here now? It would be hard to fit four people in this booth! He can't have fun anymore, though, which is a shame."

"J-Julius?" I repeat, my alcohol-soaked brain having to be turned off then turned back on again at the mention of the man. "The- The WIZARD KING!?" I'm not sure why my reaction is so astounded, I knew he was the Grey Deer captain until recently after all. I can't really tell with his mask on, but I think William is trying to contain laughter at my outburst. Yami doesn't even try to contain it, thought, slapping me a little harder than he meant to on the back. "HAHA- oh, sorry- HAHA!" He sets down his drink. " Those were the _good ol days,_ back then."

"Yami, those _good ol days_ were only four months ago," William reminds him, getting dismissed with the wave of a hand. "But yeah... Master Julius has always been very kind to the two of us."

"Yeah, even when he didn't have to be," Yami adds. I stay silent and listen intently as he continues to speak. "I was a foreigner in a strange land... but Julius saw my magic and wanted to tell me all about the magic knights an' all. I refused!" He snorts. "But then he invited me to talk about it over dinner... and so a tradition began." I laugh a little at the joke. "You're a foreigner?" I asked. I had noticed before that Yami looked different from most people I'd seen, but I didn't think much of it.

"Yep." He leans back in his seat. "From the Land of the Rising Sun- it's far away, you've never heard of it. I was stranded here with no friends, no money... then Julius took me in and taught me how to read an' write. That was about-" He counts on his fingers. "Three or four years ago, now." He looks over at William. "That's when I met you, Vangeance, out there in the woods. You were a new recruit and all back then."

"I remember, vividly," William replies, a hint of teasing in his voice. "I never knew what it was like to be praised until Julius showed up one day. He saw my magic and told me to try out for the magic knights. All my life, I was lonely..." He smiles to himself and reaches up, touching the mask lightly. I wonder if his loneliness had something to do with the mask. "Without him, I could have never come all this way."

"Wow..." I finally speak up. "He really had an influence on both of you..." I think back to my own meeting with Julius. Everything seemed so uncertain back then. With my father's death and the appearance of the strange mark on my face, I was lost and afraid of the future. But with just a few kind words and a gentle smile, my life practically transformed into something unrecognizable... something _good._ "I guess I owe a lot to him as well..."

"'course you do!" Yami snickers and squeezes my shoulder as he finishes his drink. "He's a geek and a weirdo, but he's got more of a heart than any other man I've met. Just look at us now... a foreigner, a girl with a weird thing on her head, and a guy with a tacky looking mask. It's because of _him_ that we're all here today."

I smile, a little bit dazed from the alcohol, but the words touch deep into my heart. I look over at William to see him smiling as well. "I can't wait to see where the three of us go from here."

After that, Yami and William pay the bill, and we stagger back out into the street to retrieve the broom. "-Lright, everyone hop on!" Yami commands, but William quickly takes control of the situation and removes the broom from his possession. "No way, we need to get home alive. I'm driving."

Yami falls asleep, his head planted right between my shoulders as we shoot off through the night, back to the Crimson Lion Kings base. William, who managed to stay completely sober through two large glasses of beer, keeps his eyes focused ahead, the wind ruffling the feathers that adorn his mask. I, too, start to get sleepy, and allow myself to lean forward, resting my cheek against his shoulder as I let my eyes close. William doesn't react, he just sits there and provides me a safe place to rest. _This is almost like a dream... I can't really believe that this is actually my life._

Eventually we touch down, and William helps me off of the broom. "You alright?" he asks, looking me up and down to make sure that I could stand on my own before letting go. I give him an enthusiastic thumbs up. "Good... I'll see you again soon, I'm sure." He smiles. "Don't worry... we'll write next time."

With that, he gets back on, and he and Yami soar away into the stars and out of sight. I stare up at where they were for a couple more seconds before letting out a heavy sigh, turning to walk through the doors. _What a nice night... I hope we can do that again sometime. Hanging out with friends... it's fun._

All I know is that I'm exhausted. All I want right now... is just some _sleep._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time... Chapter 14: the man in the night. Our main character gets the scare of her life when she gets home! Could it be a devil?! Or something more unexpected?


	14. the man in the night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Whew... it only took like FOURTEEN chapters for reader to start thinking about romance lol. Enjoy this chapter... I sure enjoyed writing it. ;)

I reach my room with all the intention of getting right in bed, but I spot the unfinished letter to Lyra still sitting on my desk. _That's right, I still have a ways to go! Then I can just add the stars we earn when Fuegoleon tells me, and I can send it!_ I sit down in my chair and immediately start writing where I left off, at the part where I ran into Horatio unexpectedly. 

_" He's still a little bitch, but he's matured a little bit. He was quick to act when the fugitive attacked us. He had oil magic! Luckily, my fire magic was enough to burn it all away, and Horatio helped me land the final blow. Horatio was with another member of the Silver Eagles, Nozel Silva, who's another member of the royal family. I'm meeting royals left and right nowadays! Anyway, "_

I decide to add in the dinner that I was unexpectedly swept away to. 

" _Yami and William (you remember them, right? The buff guy and the guy with the mask that I took the exam with) showed up and almost got straight up murdered by the rest of my squad! I had no idea that they would get so fired up about it. They wanted to take me out for dinner and drinks, which was really nice of them... I ... had... a ...g... great... "_

The pen slips from my hand as my forehead hits the desk. I'm so exhausted, my body decided to shut down right then. I didn't mind though... I really needed the sleep, even though I wanted to finish this letter really badly. My eyes close, and I'm asleep within seconds. 

I don't know how long I doze, but I'm eventually stirred back to consciousness by a quiet tapping sound. _Hmm?_ I slowly raise my head, blinking to unblur my vision. The tapping continues, and it takes me a moment to realize that someone is knocking on something. Alana isn't back yet, she wouldn't knock anyway since this is her room, too. _Who would be... oh! Fuegoleon!_ I sit up quickly, snapping awake. He's probably here to tell me how many stars we got today! Suddenly feeling excited, I push out my chair and stand up, eager to open the door. However, I only get a few steps closer to it before realizing that the sound isn't coming from the door... it's coming from the window behind me, the one by my bed. Feeling dread start to build in my chest, I slowly turn around to look over at the window in question. We have an old wive's tale back home, one that tells of a devil that comes and taps on people's windows. Once you let it in, he'll take over your body and do unspeakable things. _That's just a story though... sure, I can't think of any other reason why someone would be up here at my_ third _floor window, but still, it's definitely not a devil, in fact, it's probably nothing, just my imagination-_

To my horror, there's a crouching silhouette there, completely blocking my window. He taps on the glass once again, the sound echoing through my silent room.

One of my hands slaps over my mouth to keep me from screaming, but the other has balled up into a fist, blue flame erupting around it. My body is moving without any thought as I quickly advance at the window. _I don't know who this is, but I'm going to knock them back down to where they came from, Devil or not!_ I think to myself. The rush of adrenaline spurs me forward, but just as soon as my attack begins, it ends. The light from my fist finally illuminates the silhouette, revealing its true identity. I'm stopped in my tracks at the sight. 

_"Hello! Can I come in?"_ His voice is muffled by the glass. _"It's awfully cold out here."_

It's the Wizard King. Julius Novachrono. Julius. He's here. Just... sitting there, looking at me expectantly. Julius. 

Why is he here? Why didn't he just use the door? Am I in trouble? What the Hell is going on? Three months go by and _this_ is how he decides to approach me? He's hanging out there, still tapping on the glass. _"Hello? You awake in there?"_ A body-snatching devil would make more sense than Julius, but I'm just going to have to suspend my disbelief for now. Shaking off my shock, I quickly extinguish my flame and open the latch on the window. He pushes it in, and I step back as he climbs over the windowsill. "Sorry about that! I didn't want to cause a scene." 

"C-cause a scene?!" I manage to get out, still comprehending the situation. I wish I didn't drink so much tonight! "You scared me to death!"

"Oh? I'm sorry!" He straightens up and turns to look at me, genuine concern in his eyes. "Are you alright?"

Now that he's here, the entire room seems to shrink in his presence. It's only been three months since I last saw him, and he looks exactly the same as he did back then... yet, _something_ is different. It's hard to put my finger on, but I eventually become aware of the fact that my hands are shaking at my sides. I clench my fists to make it stop, but then I notice several other problems: I'm hot all over, but especially my face, and my heart is thumping so hard and fast that I'm sure he can hear it. _What's wrong with me? Is this the adrenaline from just now? Or am I about to be sick from earlier? Ah! Either way, I'm definitely not-_

I nearly jump out of my skin as Julius suddenly reaches out to grab both of my shoulders. "Are you sick?" he asks, noticing that the skin is burning hot. Oh no, he's been talking to me this whole time, hasn't he? I quickly snap out of my vacancy and look up at him to reply. "No, no, not sick! I-I just had a night off, and some friends from another squad came and took me out-" I'm probably sharing too much information at this point, but I don't want him to worry. My head is still spinning a little, and it doesn't help when I finally bring myself to look him in the eyes. 

They're gentle and kind, yet hold some sort of quiet intensity that _excites me._ And that smile... 

_Uh oh. UH OH._

I'm aware that I've been thinking about him a lot. I've even had dreams about him. I thought he was just an inspiring, far-off figure for the longest time, someone that I admired, and I was thankful for his help... But now that he's _here,_ the tension I feel is something completely new. This realization doesn't help my current state, and Julius obviously picks up that I'm not feeling that great. "Here... sit down." 

I nod slowly and turn around, the cool skin of his hand burning against my skin. Then, he lets go. I look back around, and he's gone. Just... disappeared into thin air? _What the Hell?_ I think, sinking down into my chair. _Did I... hallucinate that whole thing? Or maybe this is a dream! That would make more sense than-_

Julius suddenly flashes back into existence right in front of me, his robe fluttering in the wind he's created. If I had been sober, I probably would have screamed, but all I can do is blink in surprise. He reveals the reason for his excursion and holds out a glass of water for me. "Here, drink this, you're probably dehydrated," he suggests. I quickly accept it and start drinking. He chuckles and pulls up Alana's chair so he can sit next to me. "I've had to take care of enough people this way in my time."

"... William and Yami, right?" I ask, setting down my glass. He doesn't seem surprised that I knew that. "Ah, so it _was_ them," Julius concludes. "William seemed friendly with you when we were in your town."

"We took the exam together the first time," I reply, my heart rate starting to settle down, but spiking every time I glance over at his face. "I was really happy to go out with them tonight. It was... fun."

"I'm sure it was."

I suddenly remember that Julius is, in fact, the Wizard King, and he's probably not here to just shoot the breeze. "So, um, why are you here?" I ask, then wince at my wording. "I mean, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Slowly but surely, I'm coming back to my senses and calming down. Now more than ever, I don't want to make a fool out of myself. 

"Didn't I tell you before? We finally got around to interrogating the prisoner we caught from the Diamond Kingdom," Julius replies quickly, almost as if he forgot the reason for a moment as well. _That Diamond mage..._ "The one we caught in your town!"

My eyes widen a little. "Oh... Oh!" I sit up straight, my nervousness quickly being replaced with excitement. Finally! Maybe he found out some answers. "What did he say?"

Julius feeds off my excitement and leans forward, his eyes twinkling. "It's very interesting... he was a low-level mage, so he obviously didn't have _extremely_ detailed information, but it was enough to put me on the trail." I nod along, wishing he would just get to the point. "Apparently, the Diamond Kingdom told him and other mages to watch out for anyone with a mark like that-" He points at my forehead. "-when they make excursions over here. They were asked to capture or kill anyone like that by a country that they have diplomatic relations with!"

_A country? So, my father really was a foreigner!_ I think, my heart picking up pace again. "Which country is it?" I ask. I knew about the Diamond, Heart, and Spade Kingdoms that surround us, but was it something I had never heard of before?

"Now... _that's_ the most curious part." Julius clasps his hands together, barely containing himself. "I did some research, based on what the mage told us. A foreign country, an ally of the Diamond Kingdom, where everyone has that mark _somewhere_ on their body. I searched and searched through all of our records... but no such place exists."

_No such place exists._

"At least, as far as our records show." He sighs and closes his eyes for a moment before blinking them back open to look at me. "Obviously, the place does exist, since the Diamond Kingdom is their ally, and _you're here._ But why would such a country be kept secret?"

"Or maybe, it's something that _used_ to exist," I finally decide to speak up. "You said that this mark might be the result of a sealing spell, right? Maybe they didn't always have it... maybe something happened that caused them to cast a genetic spell." I'd never heard of genetic spells until all this happened, but if it was true, that opened up a whole load of possibilities. It's a shaky hypothesis at best, at least in my opinion, but Julius doesn't seem to think so.

"Why didn't I think of that! Kingdoms used to rise and fall as frequently as the tide back in the day," he exclaims, starting to talk kind of fast. For some reason, he seems to be almost enthralled by the idea, that sparkle coming back into his eyes. _...cute,_ I think briefly to myself. "But... there's so many, it could be hard to sift through it all." He frowns, coming back to earth. "It'll take long time, for sure..."

"Oh, uh, I don't mind if you drop it," he looks up at me in surprise as I speak up. "Especially if it's a lot of work." I avert my eyes, feeling guilty. "You've put in so much work already, and I'm grateful for that, but I don't want to trouble you about it!" Already, he'd gone out of his way to find out this information and come tell me about it in person. "I mean... You're the Wizard King, after all, I would hate to bother you about it any further-"

"No, no! It's not a bother!" His quick response surprises me, but he doesn't give me time to reply. "Sure, I've never been more busy than I am now... but I'm in a unique position. There's a lot of work to do, and I'm constantly in the public eye, but I have the resources and influence to investigate these types of things now." He smiles a little sheepishly. "Everyone says I'm a magic nerd... maybe that's true. I find this stuff very interesting anyway, but in this case, the Diamond Kingdom is somehow involved. So, it gives me an excuse to look into it!" I look back up at him just in time to see him wink, but I'm too wrapped up in everything to get embarrassed. _So... he's not bothered by this?_

"You... think this is interesting?" I ask quietly. Never in my life would I think that the Wizard King himself would actually be _willing_ to help me unravel this mystery. But Julius is here, insisting that he wants to help, looking at me with eyes that shine with genuine titillation. 

"Of course..." He closes his eyes for a moment as he smiles. "I find you fascinating."

I quickly take a drink of water, hoping to conceal my quickly-reddening cheeks. _Is this actually happening? Get it together!_ "...then, I really appreciate it." I set down my glass and smile to myself, eyes locked in the surface of my desk. "Yami and William told me about when you were their captain. They both really admire you."

"Do they?" Julius lets out a nervous chuckle. "The two of them have grown into fine young men, I just pushed them along at the beginning." He sighs and leans back in his chair, hands folded on his chest. I sneak a glance over at him, and I can't help but admire how he holds himself, even in such a casual position. His extravagant robe looks soft... but I can't help but wonder what he looks like underneath it.

"You know-" His eyes flicker back to me, pulling me from the daydream. "Next time you have a day off, come up to the royal library. We can sift through all the history books together."

It takes me a couple seconds to realize what he's proposing. "!!!" _That_ came out of left field! "O-of course! I don't know when I'll have another day off, but I'll try to come when I can!" From how he phrased it before, he's going to need all the help he can get. _Searching for clues... in a library... with him? Not a bad deal, at all!_

"Wonderful!" Julius looks almost as happy as I feel. I briefly wonder if he's just glad to have help, or just interested in the subject; it's not as if this immediately translates into some kind of attraction towards me. Maybe I'm just bad at seeing those signs. "I'll tell them to let you in... isn't this exciting? I feel like we're on the brink of a huge discovery!" He's like a schoolboy again, his eyes shining with delight. _...cute._ "Once we figure it out... maybe you'll be able to unlock some sort of crazy power! I can't wait to see!"

Now, _that_ made my heart flutter, but I don't feel embarrassed anymore. Instead, I actually let out a giggle behind my hand. "They were right, you really are a magic geek!" 

"Guilty as charged!"

Julius, who doesn't get an outlet like this often, continues to wax poetic about all the different kinds of magic he's seen so far. I rest my head in my hands, listening drowsily. Suddenly, light fills the room as the door swings open. _Shit! I forgot about Alana! How long have we been talking?_ I panic and jump out of my seat, waving my arms. "Alana! I can explain!" I quickly say, even though I have _no idea_ how I'm supposed to explain the presence of the Wizard King in my bedroom. Alana freezes when she sees the man. "L-Lord Fuegoleon?"

_Fuegoleon? Huh? What is she-_ I turn around to see that yes, indeed, somehow Fuegoleon is sitting in the chair where Julius had been a moment before. "I'm sorry, I was just leaving!" Despite his appearance, the cheerful tone proves that it's actually Julius, somehow disguised. _What even is his magic?_ He stands up and pats me on the shoulder. "See you later..." To my horror, "Fuegoleon" winks at me before walking by to the door. He's almost out when he pauses and looks back. "Oh, by the way, I'm- I mean, the Wizard King is awarding us 4 stars each for today. Very good work!" And with a smile and a thumbs up, he disappears from sight. 

_... I hope he doesn't run into the_ real _Fuegoleon on the way out!_

Alana is still a little shell-shocked, looking at me with surprise. I don't even want to think about what she's assuming about me and Fuegoleon, but it's better than her assuming something about me and Julius. I silently pull on my pajamas and climb into bed as she turns off the light. I only have a couple hours left to sleep, but anything will help before the usual morning training. As I drift off to sleep at last, I can't help but smile to myself about what just occurred. Julius had a lot of good information tonight, and I feel extremely lucky that he's helping me at all, but now there's a knot in my stomach that won't go away. Was it fear for my future, and for what I might find out about my past? Or was it something else, something that grew from the newfound tension between us. _Is it just me... or can he feel it too?_

His words echo in my ears as I slip away.

_"I find you... fascinating."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY! Next time... Chapter 15: the trip to the castle. Fuegoleon gets to know our main character a bit better, and she travels to the capital to start researching her past.


	15. the trip to the castle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I ended up ending the chapter a little earlier than I initially planned so the last "next time" note is not entirely accurate.
> 
> 2\. Enjoy. :)

"There! Behind you!"

I whirl around at Fuegoleon's shout to see one last bandit running at me, Grimoire out and ready to attack. However, now that I've seen him, it's too late. "Flame Magic: Solar Bolt!" I hold my right hand outward, letting the searing-hot energy build up. Then, I release the beam, taking the form of just one, deadly-sharp arrow. The bandit can't move out of the way in time, and it shoots right through his body. He lets out a scream and falls to the ground, but I know he's not dead; that spell is hot enough to instantly cauterize a wound. However, the sheer shock of the attack renders him harmless, passed out on the ground. "There!" I grin and turn to look at Fuegoleon. "How was that?"

He smiles momentarily, but, as usual, thinks up a way to scold me. "You really should be more careful," the man tells me as he walks over to to the last fallen enemy. There were about nine of them terrorizing this one town out in the Forsaken Realm, but now there would be zero. "We're not supposed to kill these guys."

"I know... he's not dead though, is he?" I nudge the body with my boot, and he lets out a muffled moan. "See?"

Fuegoleon rolls his eyes before raising his hand. " _Leo Palma."_ His binding spell wraps around the captive and carries him over to the pile of the others. "That being said, I liked that spell." I raise my eyebrows at the uncommon praise. "It reminds me of _Sol_ _Linea._ "

 _Sol Linea_ was, indeed, a lot like Solar Bolt, but it was much more refined and powerful. I had seen Fuegoleon use it a number of times by now, on missions a lot like the one today. I've been trying to refine Solar Bolt for a while by concentrating the magic into just the center of my palm, but it kept coming out of my fingers as well, resulting in an unsteady, barely composed bolt. It was fast enough to do its job, but if I ever wanted to be as good as Fuegoleon, I needed to develop it into something more sophisticated. _This guy is really something... he's powerful, controlled, and inspiring to everyone in the squad. One day, he'll be captain, and I'll be proud to serve him._

Captain Fernan had sent the two of us on a number of missions since my first excursion, and we've turned into quite the team. Usually we had a couple of others with us, but today we were alone, since taking care of bandits was a relatively easy task. Luckily, Alana hasn't brought up the "Fuegoleon" incident since that night two weeks ago. Being able to fight with him was one thing, but what I really enjoy is _learning_ from him. He's a young man, yet he has enough inspirational sayings stored up in his brain that it's hard to believe he's only 22. His power is astounding, to be expected of a royal. I know that surpassing him isn't really an attainable goal, but it's still a goal I've set for myself. If I shoot for the top, I'll probably land somewhere close.

We head back to the village and hand off the bandits to the local authorities, who thank us profusely. "This has been a problem all across the Forsaken Realm," the mayor explains to us as we wait to head back. "No one seems to care about us out here, so we're very thankful that you decided to come."

"It's our pleasure," Fuegoleon replies gallantly. "The Magic Knights exist to protect the people of the Kingdom, no matter where they come from."

It's not a philosophy that most nobles, let alone Royals, hold, but Fuegoleon stands firm in that belief, no matter where our missions take us. Yes... he'll make a great captain one day.

The ride back to the base is mostly silent. Fuegoleon drives this time since he doesn't need to navigate, and I notice that he's a much better flyer than Yami was. "You haven't had a day off for two weeks, haven't you?" he suddenly asks, glancing back at me to pull me from my thoughts. I shake my head. It's true, even though I've wholeheartedly enjoyed my time so far on the Crimson Lions, the captain hasn't given me a single break! Whether its errands, trainings, missions, or chores, I'm always busy with barely a free second to eat and sleep. "I see..." Fuegoleon nods. "You can have the day off today, then."

My heart leaps with delight. "Really? Thanks!" I smile to myself, briefly wondering what I should do with the rest of the day. It's been a long time since I even thought about having fun, so it takes me a moment to come up with an idea. "Oh... if it's not too much trouble, can you drop me off at the Capital?"

The request catches him by surprise, causing him to glance back at me again. _There sure is a lot of glancing going on right now!_ "Sure, that shouldn't be much of a detour. How are you going to get back?"

I shrug. "I'll figure it out."

"If you say so."

For a couple minutes, I think I've avoided any interrogation about _why_ I wanted to go to the Capital. He probably assumes that I want to go shopping or something else girly. But, it seems that curiosity gets the better of him. "What are you going to do?"

I gulp, trying to figure out how to phrase this without sounding too suspicious. "There's a... matter than I'm trying to research. I received permission to access the royal library, and this is the first time I'll be able to go." _There! That was good!_

"You could have just asked me, I _am_ royalty after all." This is the first time Fuegoleon has flaunted his rank in front of me, but I think he's just trying to make his version of a joke. "Did you have to write a written request?"

"Er, something like that. Sometimes I forget that you're royalty." I try to change the subject but that last part sounded a bit rude. "I mean- I forget that I have that connection. You're my comrade over anything else." I grimace a bit, I probably could have phrased that a bit better.

Fuegoleon doesn't seem to take any offence, luckily. "I know what you mean... in a way, I feel like my place in the Magic Knights is much more important than my place in the royal family." He shrugs. "I won't ever be King, after all." 

"What about Wizard King?"

"Hmm..." I can't see his face, but somehow I know that he's smiling. "Isn't that everyone's aspiration?"

 _Everyone's aspiration..._ "I suppose almost everyone wants to be the strongest person in the kingdom. You probably have a pretty good chance, from what I've seen at least." That's right... Fuegoleon isn't just powerful, he's a great leader, too. He's someone that people can get behind, me included. His magic is simple yet incredibly versatile. It occurs to me that I still have no idea what Julius's magic even is. All I could tell from our encounters was that it was... weird. He teleported, transformed, and even reconstructed a destroyed flower. I don't even know where to start... just trying to read his mana is mind boggling. It's more magic than should be feasibly contained in a human body, so I try not to think about it.

"What about you? Is that your goal as well?" 

For some reason, I can't help but let out a small chuckle at the thought. "Me? The Wizard King? I don't think so." I shake my head, amused by the notion. "I just want to live my life in the Magic Knights to the fullest... I don't think I have to become the Wizard King to achieve that."

Fuegoleon reaches up and touches the strange, red mark above his brow, frowning for a moment as he mulls over my statement. "I see... I guess the two of us were raised very differently."

"I mean, you're royalty and I'm a commoner, of course we were!"

He exhales through his nose in what a suppose is a laugh. He doesn't press the subject any more, and we finally reach one of the castle towns on the outskirts of the capital. It's only noon, so I have plenty of time to walk there. "Can you manage from here?"

"Yep!" He descends, and I quickly step off of the broom. "Thank you! I won't stay out too late."

"You better not," he reminds me sternly. "You have chores to do, after all."

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

He waves goodbye and flies off, leaving me alone to make my way up to the royal library. I attract a number of stares as I walk through the busy street, and I pick up on a few whispers from the crowd. 

_"Look! A Magic Knight!"_

_"And a Crimson Lion, too!_ _"_

I have to fight to keep a straight face, pride swelling up so much in my chest that I think I might cry. A month later, and I'm _still_ getting used to the reality that I made it this far. No one seems to notice the strange mark on my face; all they see is the red cloak around my shoulders. Part of me wonders if I would get a good reception if I ever went back to my hometown. I'm sure Lyra would burst out crying, and Rocco and Pat would chant something along the lines of _"Cousin is a Magic Knight!"_ Portia would act like she was against it but secretly be smiling. And my mother...

_No, she would never approve. Even if I became the Magic King, she would still hate me for what I did to her._

The Clover Castle is a gigantic structure, both wider and taller than I ever could have imagined. It's separated into layers, probably in increasing importance. King Augustus probably lives in the middle, with the other royal houses around him. I'm not sure where the Wizard King resides, but it's probably near the Magic Knights HQ section, where I head to enter the castle.

"What's your business here?" one of the royal guards asks me as I approach the archway leading inside. The whole situation is intimidating, but I manage to keep a cool head.

"I'm visiting the Library, I have work to do there," I reply, holding up my Grimoire for him to scan. He does so, glancing at my cloak. I tell him my name, and he nods, stepping back to let me in. _That was easier than I expected!_ I think to myself as I thank him and walk by, through the tunnel and out the other side. I take a moment to look around now that I'm officially on the other side of the wall. Strangely enough, it's not so different from the outside. The view of the sky is the same. 

My destination is the royal library, but it doesn't take long for me to regret not asking the guard for directions. Once inside the building, the hallways become a tangled labyrinth, illuminated by fancy chandeliers and the occasional window. _Well... at least I can look around a bit. I'm sure I'll run into the library at some point!_ I'm being a bit more of an optimist than I aught to be, however, and thirty minutes later I have not "run into" the library yet. I pass people in the hall every once in a while, and try to look official as possible as to avoid suspicion. I contemplate asking them for directions, but they're already giving me strange looks so maybe that's not a good idea. 

I'm about to accept my fate as a hermit who endlessly wanders the castle until she turns into dust when a hear a girlish giggle echo through the hall. I'll be honest- I'm a little creeped out. I turn around to scan the area, and something runs out of nowhere and bumps right into my legs. "Oof!" I look down and see a little girl, maybe 6 or 7 years old, stepping back to look up at me. She has silver hair pulled into two braids on each side of her face. Her eyes widen a little when she spots my cloak. "A-A magic knight?" she stutters, taking another step back. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean-"

"It's okay!" I give her the most reassuring smile I cam and crouch down to her level. She still looks a little nervous, but relaxes and manages to smile back at me. "You're pretty fast! Do you live here?"

She's dressed in very nice clothes for a young girl, and my suspicions that she's royalty are confirmed when she gives me a little nod. "That's cool! I'm a little lost though, this is my first time here. Do you know where the Royal Library is?"

Her eyes light up and she opens her mouth to answer, but falls silent as someone yells from across the hallway. "Noelle!" We both look over and see none other than Nozel Silva walking towards us, a sour expression on his face behind his braided bangs. "What did I tell you? No talking to strangers in the hall," he barks. "Get out of sight." Noelle gulps and looks almost heartbroken, then turns and runs off out of sight. I'm left alone with Nozel now, feeling a little odd from the way he talked to that girl. I stand up and turn to face him at last. "What on Earth are _you_ doing here?" he asks me. "This is the estate of the Silva family, Magic Knights Headquarters isn't even close."

"I'm lost " I state, feeling a bit annoyed but not able to do much about it. "I'm trying to find the Royal Library."

He arches a silver brow. "You can read?"

"Yes, I can," I snap, crossing my arms defensively. "I'm not a peasant."

"Peasant, Commoner, it's all the same to me."

"Look, are you going to give me directions or not?"

"I'm tempted not too... but fine. Follow me."

I didn't really want a personal tour of the castle by Nozel Silva today, but it seems like that's what I've received. I trail behind him by a few paces, not wanted to get in his way and invoke his wrath. Luckily, he seems just as unenthusiastic to talk to me as well and stays silent. But at the end of the day, I'm glad he agreed to lead me to the Library, since I don't have much faith in my own navigation abilities. However, something's bothering me, something I have to ask. "So... that girl, Noelle, she's your sister, right?" The two were wearing similar outfits and had the exact same hair color, and yet he treated her like she was levels below him.

"She is, unfortunately," Nozel replies tersely. "Running around like she owns this place... she really is a bothersome child."

I raise an eyebrow at the answer. His tone is dripping with some toxic emotion. _Does he hate her? Why? She was so cute!_ "Hmm... I wonder what she did to deserve that," I wonder aloud.

It's a mistake. The air suddenly become heavy and cold, and I freeze in place. _What the heck? This Mana... so oppressive..._ I realize that it's coming off of Nozel, who hasn't stopped or even looked back at me. However, I can tell that I've angered him. "...that's none of your business, commoner. Keep your nose out of it," he replies calmly, his voice still icy. Finally, he glances back at me, eyes narrowed. "Don't slow me down. I have better things to do than show you around."

"Y-yes sir." I quickly start walking again, not wanting to be left behind, but also eager to get out of his presence. _Jesus Christ... what is with this guy? I knew Royalty was weird, but this is just bizarre. That terrifying mana, and the way he treated his sister... it gives me the creeps!_ I feel bad for Noelle, but I have a host of problems of my own to deal with.

"This is it." Nozel stops abruptly and points at a door on the other side of the hall. It's not marked "Library" or anything, so I definitely wouldn't have found it on my own. "I won't help you find your way out."

"Thank you," I bow my head slightly out of respect. Despite his unfriendly demeanor, I'm still happy that I finally arrived here safely. "See you later."

He does not wave as he turns away and leaves, letting his cloak flare out dramatically. I sigh and turn to the Library door, suddenly feeling a bit nervous. _I've never been in a place that was this important..._ I think briefly. _In any case, this could be the beginning of some important discovery._ I reach up and lightly touch the mark on my head, the mark that both began my new life and made it more complicated than I could ever imagine. 

_There's no reason to be scared... as long as I find out the truth someday, everything will be fine! I can feel it!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time... Chapter 16: the trail of the truth. Our heroine starts her research, and things are going better than she expected. However... "do Yami and William have to be here, too?!"


	16. the trail of the truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Is there anything more romantic than a library? No? Just me?
> 
> 2\. I've been making attempts at humor but I don't know if they are getting through to you guys. Yami and William make it pretty easy though lol
> 
> 3\. I'm going to take a break for about 2 days to work on some other stuff because I was out of the house all day today, but fear not! I'll be back before you miss me :)

The royal library is every bit as grand as I expected it to be. The ceiling is vaulted, supported by a series of dark wooden arches high above my head. The floor is wooden as well, parts of it covered with a thick red carpet. A line of tasteful chandeliers does little to light up the place, casting it in a dark atmosphere. However, it's not scary... it's actually kind of cozy. As I expected, it's also completely crammed with bookshelves, forming a maze that blocks most of the floor space from sight. The librarian desk is abandoned, with a note saying "out to lunch" sitting on the surface. There's no trace of human mana in here (although I can feel mana radiating from some of the books), so it seems like I'm completely alone for now.

The Dewey Decimal System is too complicated for me to be bothered to figure out, so I elect to wander around for a bit and find the books I'm looking for. _I need information on past civilizations and kingdoms, so I should probably head to the history section first. Or maybe some sort of royal records?_ I have no idea how to navigate the area, but History seems simple enough to find. Luckily, that prediction is right, and I stumble upon that section of the shelves. To my surprise, there's an actual window here, letting in a bit of natural light. Maybe this will be more pleasant than I imagined. I walk over to the shelf closest to me, running my finger over the dusty spines. One book catches my attention: _History of Known Kingdoms, past and_ _present_. Well, that sounds like it's exactly what I'm looking for!

With a satisfied hum, I pull the book off the shelf and look around for a place to read. There are some comfy-looking chairs and couches scattered throughout. One of them is next to an old coffee table, and I notice that there's already a couple history books splayed out on the surface. They aren't dusty, so they probably haven't been there for very long. 

_Someone else was here, recently._

I'm still having a hard time believing that Julius actually wanted to help me, but this is stone cold proof of that. I go and sink down on the couch (it's lost a lot of suspension it seems) and catch sight of of a notebook laying among the tomes. _He's actually taking this very seriously!_ I don't know whether I should feel honored or guilty, but in any case I'm curious enough to peer down at the open page. 

His handwriting is slightly better than a scribble; he was obviously writing very fast. I can almost imagine the look of concentration on his face as he did so, whenever he was last here. Most of the notes are just short summaries of different ancient kingdoms that might be the origin of my mystery. Others detail ancient magic that could have something to do with the mark on my forehead. The phrase _Genetic Spells?_ is scrawled in the corner and circled thickly. The main image on the page is a diagram. In the center is a crudely drawn picture of a person that I presume is me, because of the symbol drawn on my forehead. Several arrows are drawn radiating out from it to questions. _Why did it appear when the sealing spell was lifted? Mark unrelated to sealing spell. Dad had it on hand? Is it on other parts of the body other than hand and head? Is magic stored in the mark? Can she make the mark glow again like when she first got it? What power is it drawing from?_

All these notes, all about me? I let out a sigh, feeling a bit overwhelmed, before laying back on the couch and opening up my own book. _I better put in some work, too!_

I don't expect Julius to actually show up today. He's the Wizard King, after all! However, about an hour into my studying, I hear the library door open and close in the distance. I assume that it's the librarian coming back from their lunch break and don't pay much attention. Because of that, I didn't hear their footsteps start to come closer and closer until someone walks around the corner, stopping suddenly when they see me. Realizing that I'm no longer alone, I lower my book. Why am I surprised? It's Julius, of course. "Oh! Hello!"

I quickly sit up and shut my book out of respect, careful to mark my page. He still looks a bit surprised, but it wears off quickly. I can't help but notice that he looks... worn out. His shoulders are slumped slightly, his eyes aren't as bright, and the lines on his face look deeper. However, his blank expression quickly changes, and I'm relieved when he gives me a weary yet cheerful smile. "... you finally decided to come," he greets, raising his hand slightly as he walks over. I also notice that he now has a mark of his own on his forehead, in the shape of what appears to be a star. It's very unobtrusive so I quickly overlook it.

"I'm sorry I didn't come earlier! I haven't had a day off in weeks," I explain, my heart picking up again. _Stay calm! I'm not buzzed this time so this should be much better than last time! Not that I expect it to be, he's the Wizard King and everything after all. But still-_

"I thought that would be the case, you _are_ a magic knight after all." He chuckles. "I was just looking forward to seeing you again."

_Aaiiee! Did he really just say that out loud?!_ I barely avoid panicking, and he frowns a bit as I suddenly avert my eyes his gaze. "Ah, sir, you don't have to say that," I say, my tone becoming apologetic. "Sorry for making you do this alone, though."

His eyes soften a bit. _Hmmm I better be careful what I say, I don't want him to figure out anything too early._ I'm not the best at hiding my feelings, so it's only a matter of time before he knows more than I actually do about how I feel. "It's true, though," Julius tells me, moving around the coffee table to join me on the couch. I was sure he would pick one of the armchairs, but no... he decided to sit here next to me. _Eek! Thank you, God!_ "It does get lonely here by myself though." He sighs and gestures at the coffee table and his notes. "As you can see, I've been doing some digging here and there in my free time. It's been four days since I last got the chance." His brow furrows into an uncharacteristic scowl at the thought.

It doesn't take a genius to realize that Julius is preoccupied by something else, probably from his other duties. As Wizard King, I'm sure he has to deal with a lot of heavy stuff. However, he blinks his eyes once and is back to his normal self. "Even so, I found a couple of candidates!" He flips through his notebook to the beginning of a very long list. "Why don't we start here? I want to hear your opinion!" 

"Good idea!"

I close my book and set it aside before scooting a little closer to him. He also does the same. "Here-" To my horror, his knee knocks into mine and he sets the book on top of them to share it with me. "We'll start here." He presses a finger down into the page to mark where he's reading, but I can definitely feel the pressure through the book. " _The Kraedel_ Empire. A lost kingdom of warriors that existed in the continent across the sea. They specialized in-"

I try my best to stay focused on what he's saying, but that's an almost impossible task. Between the feeling of his knee against mine and the finger on the page, I'm having trouble thinking about anything but him. His voice has calmed from his initial fervor, becoming a bit deeper, and it pains me to admit that I get a chill every time a word passes his wonderful lips. _Get it together! This is like the 3rd time that we've met. He's definitely not doing this on purpose! Don't make yourself look like a fool and catch feelings so quickly._ However, that hypothesis keeps getting called into question the longer we sit there. Every time he shifts his knee and it rubs against mine, I catch him shooting a glance at me out of the corner of his eye, as if he's trying to gauge my reaction. It's everything I can do to keep that reaction from showing. _Hmmm maybe I actually_ am _wrong... I mean, my dad always told me it was love at first sight with mom. These things can happen quickly-_

"Look at this one!" Julius's voice suddenly pulls me back to earth. He's pointing at another passage in his notes. It's a bit longer than the other ones. "This one might not be the best candidate, but it was interesting to me. It happened pretty recently, though, and this information came from the Diamond Kingdom!"

We both lean in over the book to read it, and it's too late to do anything before I realize that our shoulders are pressed together. However, he's engrossed in his notes so I manage to ignore the sudden closeness. "This was a people known as the _Simulcians._ They originally came from our continent, and ended up settling on an island far west of the Diamond Kingdom," Julius explains. "Not much was known about them, but they didn't have very powerful magic at first. However, they developed a technique that somehow managed to amplify their mana for short amounts of time."

"A technique?" I briefly remembered the words my father had uttered when he was fighting. _"Let me draw from your power."_ "Did it have anything to do with a magic mark?"

Julius shakes his head. "The book didn't mention anything about a mark. This is really all the information that exists about them."

"Oh? So, what happened to them?"

"Well... about a century ago, the island they lived on was destroyed by an undersea volcanic eruption. I checked our own history records, and it's true; That eruption caused tremors and a small tsunami along our own coast. According to the Diamond Kingdom, there were no survivors."

_That is pretty interesting..._ "I don't know how they would have survived that, if we can trust the Diamond account." The whole amplification thing is interesting, but it doesn't seem to match up with my situation any more than that. _But still... Simulcian. Something about that name seems familiar._ "That's all interesting, though."

Julius's eyes glimmer at my words. "I know, right?! There's plenty more, though. Look here-"

He eventually sits back, his shoulder leaving mine, but he immediately just goes ahead and slings his arm along the back of the sofa behind me. He's not touching me, but still... it's a bit bold.

At this point, I can't ignore the rush inside of me caused by this possibly-unintentional, possibly-intentional closeness. The last time I was this close to someone, it was my first kiss, with that patron at the inn, even though I don't remember it all that well. At the end of the day, I don't have the experience to evaluate this situation properly. Part of me wonders if he knows _exactly_ what he's doing, or if he's just doing all this mindlessly without any ulterior motives. Maybe I'm just doubting myself too much. What I need to do right now is stop worrying and relax- I get to spend some meaningful time alone with him, and that's enough for now. I take in a breath through my nose and slowly release it, feeling my body calm down. _That's it... relax._ Above anything else, I'm starting to realize that Julius makes me feel comfortable (as contradictory as that sounds). Feeling a bit better, I turn my body slightly towards him, and let myself look him in the eye as he talks.

_That's right... we're alone. I can enjoy this._

However, the "alone" part of that doesn't last long. Neither of us is paying attention to our surroundings at this point, conversing quietly about each possibility and whether or not it's a good match for the situation. We don't even notice that there are two other people walking towards us, talking to each other pretty loudly for a library.

"I hate coming in here. It smells like moths."

"Moths? You mean moth _balls,_ right?"

"I didn't say anything about _balls,_ you masked weirdo."

We look up, both of us tensing up at the realization that we're no longer alone, but it's too late to scoot back: Yami and William come walking around the corner. Yami is still complaining, but stops mid-sentence as he sees the two of us sitting together on the couch, a little more cozy than a Magic Knight and the Wizard King probably should be. William quickly notices as well, but shakes off his surprise pretty quickly. "Master Julius, we were looking for you." He salutes briefly before smiling at me, his eyes quizzical beneath the mask. "I didn't expect to see you here, though."

Julius quickly clears his throat and retracts his arm, scratching the back of his neck as he briefly avoids the stare from Yami. "Oh! She was doing some research and I thought I would help her."

"Yeah!" I add a little too quickly, turning my body away from his as quick as I can. _Distract... distract._ Despite the situation, the momentary awkwardness from Julius is almost... comforting? Not only the fact that he _can_ be awkward, too, but because, if _he's_ feeling awkward, then... "I was trying to find out more information about this." I point at the mark on my forehead.

Yami raises an eyebrow and finally responds. "Really? So you can get rid of it?"

I frown. "What? No-"

"Good," his voice is gruff, but I can feel a tease coming. "Because that's your identity now, forehead girl."

The joke dissolves the tension and Julius lets out a warm laugh, back to his old self. "We haven't had much luck yet. What do you two need?"

Yami scowls, chewing on the end of his usual cigarette. "You're the one who called us here for a report, you weirdo. We had to track you all the way over here."

Julius just laughs it off again. "Oh, that's right! Silly me, I forgot." He waves his hand to dismiss his behavior. I decide to take the chance to slip away momentarily, and quickly stand up and smooth out my skirt. Julius looks up at me at the movement. "Hmm? Are you leaving?"

"No," I assure him. "I'm just going to find a bathroom." With that, I turn and walk out of sight, leaving the three of them to go over the details of whatever mission William and Yami had been assigned to. Neither of them looked really beat up or anything, so the mission was either a few days ago or not that physical. 

"I'm glad everything went well," Julius tells them with his usual closed-eye smile. "You two surpass my expectations every day." 

William smiles and bows his head again, obviously proud of himself for earning the Wizard King's praise once again. "Thank you, sir. I hope to continue doing so." 

Yami just kind of grunts and crosses his arms. It was no use- the man hardly ever brought himself to wear the correct squad cloak, much less salute his superior. The three of them stood there for a moment looking at each other in silence. The two younger men were both thinking the same thing, but Julius just stares at them, his smile faltering only slightly as he sat there as oblivious as ever. "So... did you need something else?"

William exchanges a quick glance with Yami, who shrugs. William sighs and puts on a smile before turning back to Julius. "No, we're fine. We should probably get-"

"Yes actually-" Yami actually decides to speak up. "I didn't know you two were so friendly." William closes his eyes for a moment, wondering why Yami has to get so confrontational all the time. "I thought you met like, once."

"Three times!" Julius holds up three fingers, his composure not even wavering. "Like she said, we're working together to find clues about her ancestors. I bet she has some sort of ancient magic locked away in that thing, and I want to unravel the mystery!"

_That's definitely not the only thing he wants to unravel,_ Yami thinks to himself, looking over at William again. The masked man clearly doesn't want to be talking about any of this, believing it's nothing more than a private matter. _She's our friend, though... I'm not sure I like the thought of her hanging out with Julius so much._ "Eh, whatever. Just don't get _too_ friendly, you know?" Yami warns vaguely, quickly losing interest in the conversation. Maybe William was right, he didn't really have a reason to meddle in anyone's business, especially not Julius's. 

Julius isn't too phased from the warning but laughs nervously. He's very good at not giving anything away. "Ah, well, you know- I'm friendly with the two of you, aren't I? I don't think there's anything wrong with that."

"Yeah, that's-" William starts to agree before Yami cuts in. "Yeah. But look at us. Then look at her. There's a clear difference there."

_He has a point..._ Julius does what he always did and just laughs of the comment to dismiss it. _She's prettier than them for sure._ "Yami, you really distrust me that much?"

"No. Just speakin' freely." Yami lets out a yawn. It's right then that I return from the bathroom, and I can tell by the way they all turn to look at me that they had just been talking about me. It's not a good feeling. "That took you long enough."

"I almost got lost again," I told him (this is true- but I was able to find my way back this time by myself). It's only been about two hours since I got here so there's plenty of daylight left to continue researching. I don't know when I'll be able to get another day off after all. _Maybe the two of them will leave now... I like hanging out with both of them, but do William and Yami have to be here_ now? _"_

Julius smiles when he sees me return. "Ready to get back to it?"

I smile back and open my mouth to answer yes when the library door suddenly slams open, causing us all to jump nearly out of our skins.

_"Wizard King!!! You better not be hiding in here!!!"_

For the first time since I've met met, a look of fear passes over Julius's face. "Oh no, he found me."

We all turn just in time to see a small man with the most severe blue bowl cut I've ever witnessed come stomping around the corner. He wears the cloak of a royal adviser, and his face is almost as red as a beet. "So _there_ you are, Lord Julius! Hiding from your duties as usual."

"Ah, Hi!" Julius feigns innocence and waves weakly. "Everyone, this is Marx, he's been assigned to be my adviser, and-"

"And _not_ your babysitter!" Marx cuts in, crossing his arms and tapping his foot impatiently. "While you've been frolicking around the castle, the King has been asking me where you were, and all I can tell him is 'Oh, he's doing something very secret and important, he'll be back really soon' and then _I'M_ the one who has to entertain the oaf for _hours_ on end. _HOURS,_ Julius!" This man is getting close to his limit, and I don't think he'll be able to surpass it. "Come with me before Augustus decides to take both our heads!"

There's not much Julius can do in the face of that threat so he quickly stands up and puts down his notebook. "I see, looks like we'll have to take a break." He looks over at Yami and William. "You two, why don't you assist her until I get back?" His gaze shifts to me, his eyes crinkling slightly as he smiles. "They can keep you company... this shouldn't take long!" And with that, he hurries off with Marx to meet King Augustus.

"So... he was blowing off work this entire time?" I grimace a little through my smile as Yami looks over at me. "I feel a little bad."

"Don't. He's always liked doing things his own way," William assures me, walking over to an armchair and sinking down onto it. "Becoming Wizard King didn't change that. What can we help you with?"

I explain the situation to them and we get back to work. Yami doesn't complain for once, but I don't think he's doing any work anyway, he's just idly flipping through the book on his lap. An hour passes, then another. At some point, Julius actually appears again with a tray full of tea and cookies. _"I thought you might get hungry! I told Marx I was going to the bathroom- he'll never find us!"_ Unfortunately, Julius is forced to leave when Marx _does_ find us, and he drags the Wizard King away by the ear. The three of us remaining laugh about it after they're gone before getting back to work. We aren't really finding any more substantial clues, and Julius doesn't seem to be coming back. "If it's no trouble, could I get a ride home?" I ask. "Fuegoleon dropped me off earlier so I don't have a way to get back myself."

"Sure!" William stands up and brushes himself off. "I wish Julius was here to say goodbye, but I'm sure he's in the middle of something important."

"Yeah... Marx mentioned the King." I didn't know much about the king and his family, but it was strange to think that I was actually in the same building as him.

"C'mon." Yami snaps his book shut and stands up quickly, rearing to go. "I don't plan on being late to dinner."

I'm a little disappointed that I don't get to see Julius again before I go, but there's not much I can do about it. I trail behind the other two, lost in my own thoughts as we make our way through the halls. _I wish we found more of a solid lead today. We came across a load of possible candidates for my home country, but none of them seemed right. I guess there's still a lot of the library to go through, so the answer could be buried in there somewhere._ _And even if we did discover a clear match, that doesn't explain why the Diamond Kingdom would cover up the existence of a country or civilization. Why would a country full of people go into hiding, anyway?_ I have a lot of questions, but that just means more time in the library with Julius, so maybe it's not so bad.

"!!! Hey!" We hear someone call our names just before we pass the castle gates, and look back to see that Julius has, in fact, come to see us off. He stops a few meters away, his eyes sweeping over the three of us. "Thank you for helping me today. Well, us." His eyes twinkle a bit as he looks at me. A soft wind is blowing through his hair and cloak, adding a dramatic flair to his usual stately presence. "I'll see you next time."

I can't help but smile at the thought. _Next time..._ "Yeah, hopefully soon," I answer, mirroring his smile.

Yami glances between the two of us and sighs heavily. "See you, Julius."

William raises his hand to wave. "Have a good night."

The ride back to the Crimson Lion Base is smooth, a little too smooth, since Yami is the one driving this time. I yawn a little, letting go of his shoulder to cover my mouth. Julius is a delight, but man, does he tire me out. "Sorry for making you guys stay at the library," I say to break the silence.

"Oh, it was no trouble! I quite like libraries," William replies quickly.

To my surprise, Yami nods as well. "It wasn't a problem... besides," He smirks a little. "It's better than hangin' out alone with that creepy old guy, right?"

My face immediately heats up at his words. "Creepy? He wasn't creepy at all! And he's _not_ old, he's only-" I stop mid-sentence, realizing that I don't actually know how old Julius is. "He's... he's..."

"Thirty-four." Yami finishes my sentence.

"Oh, okay. He's only thirty four." Sure, he's older, but he's still younger than my dad! _Wait, when did_ that _become my golden standard?_ To be fair, my father stayed extremely youthful into his early fifties. That doesn't change the fact that Julius doesn't look elderly by any means. He's just... mature. Sophisticated. Well put-together. Yikes, I'm really far gone, aren't I?

Yami's harsh laugh pulls me back out of my thoughts and into reality. "Look at you though, defending him! You two really _are_ friendly."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what you think."

I flush a little at the assertion, opening my mouth to snap back with something witty. However, nothing comes to mind and I give up. William pats me on the shoulder to get my attention. "What Yami is trying to say, I think, is that he just wants you to be careful and everything. We've known Master Julius for a long time."

"... I know that." I can't help but smile a little. As rough around the edges as he seems, Yami seems to have a caring heart somewhere inside him. And William, he just wants the best for everything. "I appreciate it. I don't really know what's going on, myself... but I know I can handle anything."

"... Good."

That's all Yami says, but that's all he needs to say. They drop me off soon after, leaving me with a lot to think about as I do the dishes that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time... Chapter 17: the weight on his shoulders. On the eve of the King's birthday, MC recieves a startling invitation... but things are about to get way more complicated.


	17. the weight on his shoulders

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Once again I decided to add another scene, so the "next time" at chapter 16 had to be changed a little.
> 
> 2\. This chapter was a little hot, eek

Two months have passed since then, and life has finally settled in. My schedule rotates through missions, chores, nights out with William and Yami, and trips to the castle. I accumulate a couple more stars in the process, and I can't help but wonder how many Horatio has gotten. Through talking with Fuegoleon, I learn that he considers Nozel Silva his "rival," which explains the way they act around each other whenever the two of us run into him on missions. "It's healthy to have a rival," Fuegoleon lectures me one night over dinner. "Someone who has the same goal as you... that way you push each other farther and farther than you would otherwise."

I nod along as I chew. _They have the same goal, to become the Wizard King one day._ Horatio is the closest thing I can think of to a rival of my own, but the only goal we shared was to become Magic Knights. Horatio beat me to that and now has a higher aspiration, one that I can't bring myself to share. _I wouldn't want to be rivals with him anyway. He's pretty unpleasant._

King Augustus's birthday approached quickly, and the entire kingdom was holding their breaths in anticipation. It was always a grand affair, with festivals all around the different realms. The outer areas probably just wanted a chance to have some fun, but it was taken very seriously in the noble realm. Us Magic Knights wouldn't have much time to have fun. Anything could go wrong, so trainings and preparations became more and more intense. "We'll be in charge of patrols around the perimeter," Captain Fernanleon told us the morning of the day before. "The Silver Eagles will be working the actual guard detail."

"So, we won't actually get to see the king?" Alana asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

Fernan shook his head. "No, sadly not. But your job is crucial, so put your everything into it! We need to surpass the Silver Eagles, Lord Silva doesn't deserve the title of best squad!"

We all erupt into cheers at the declaration, suddenly becoming very passionate about our menial jobs.

I actually have the night off tonight, so I catch a ride with Alana to Kikka. "Are you going shopping, too?" she asks as she drops me off.

I shake my head. "No... it's work related."

"You work too hard! Come shopping with me sometime," she complains before narrowing her eyes. "You're not working yourself to death because you want to impress Fuegoleon, are you?"

AH! Finally, she's bringing that up. It must have been a shock to come home to find the captain's son hanging out with her roommate, so I don't blame her curiosity. I want to tell her the truth, but that would probably just make things more complicated. _"Oh, yeah, that wasn't Fuegoleon! That was the_ Wizard King _disguised as him!"_ I don't even want to imagine what she would think if I told her that. "No, no, nothing like that," I assure her. "He has nothing to do with this."

Alana nods, but obviously still has some doubts in her mind. "Alright... meet me back here at seven, or else I'll assume you found another way home."

"Okay!"

I purposely "get lost" in the castle this time, ending up in the same wing as the Silva's once again. Eventually, I hear soft steps behind me, and look around to see Noelle following me. She gasps and is about to run off now that she was discovered, but I quickly wave her over. "Hey! I was looking for you."

She's cautious, but doesn't run. I give her a comforting smile, reaching into my pocket and pulling out a bag of sweets. "Do you like these?"

Her eyes light up, and she quickly runs over. I giggle a little at her enthusiasm and hand them to her. Her eyes are about as wide as saucers. "Thank you!" she whispers before turning and running off, smiling to herself the whole way. I sigh and straighten up. I don't know what's going on within the Silva family, but Noelle didn't seem to deserve the treatment she got. I couldn't do much, but maybe this was just enough to give her hope.

I've only been able to come research every few weeks, due to my lack of free time. Julius joins me sometimes, but usually he doesn't appear. He's a busy man, I don't blame him. However, when we are able to spend time together, I enjoy it to the fullest. Every time we talk, or even just look into his eyes, I'm reminded of how he actually believed I was special, important, and worth investing time in. Even if he's just being kind, it warms my heart.

He's not in the library when I get there, which I expected. With the King's Birthday tomorrow, I'm sure he's wrapped up in preparations. However, I'm surprised a few minutes later when his advisor Marx suddenly appears in the aisle with me. "Hello, you're Julius's friend, right?" he asks me. We've only met a few times and weren't introduced formally, but he recognizes me anyway. _Friend? Julius says I'm his friend?_ I think to myself before nodding. Marx seems relieved. "He told me to come see if you were here. He's working in his office today, but says that you're welcome to join him up there."

 _AH!_ I hope Marx can't tell how elated that makes me. "Oh, really? Sure!"

"Wonderful. Follow me."

Marx is mostly silent as we walk. We're about the same height, so I can't stop staring at the back of his perfect bowl cut. Seriously, what barber did this? At one point, he slows his pace to walk next to me and clears his throat, preparing to say something. "I'm very glad that you've become friends with Lord Julius," he begins, his tone a lot softer than it is when he's scolding Julius. "It's a lonely job, you know. It does him good to have someone to spend time with."

I nod along, looking down at the ground for a moment. His observation is a little embarrassing but still... I'm flattered. "I'm sure it is. I'm glad our paths crossed, too." The corners of my mouth twitch into a momentary smile. "He's been very kind to me, even if he doesn't need to be."

"I'll say! He's quite wrapped up in the mystery," Marx agrees. "I don't know the details, but I'm sure it's important... even so, it distracts from his other work at times."

"Oh." I don't really know what to say to that. "....I'm sorry?"

Marx notices his blunder. "I mean, not that it's your fault! He's always been like that, apparently. He's passionate about a slew of things, including you, that's all. The Wizard King needs to be able to juggle several different projects at once."

My ears are probably bright red at this point. _Passionate?_ Luckily, Marx stops talking as we reach a door several floors higher. "This is it. I'll bring you two something to eat, I don't think Julius has eaten all day."

"I appreciate it, Marx!" I tell him with a thankful smile. He smiles back before walking off, leaving me to enter the office alone.

Julius is fast asleep, face planted in the pile of papers on his desk. The rest of the office is mostly barren, with just a few chairs and a bookshelf decorating it. I stand there awkwardly for a moment, wondering if I should leave him alone to sleep. _No... he was the one who called me up here, anyway. Plus, he shouldn't be sleeping on his work! Gah, I'm starting to sound like Marx!_ Cautiously, I walk up next to him and tentatively poke him in the shoulder. "Julius?" Nothing. He continues to snore. I do it again, a little harder. "Julius!" 

"Huh?" He suddenly sits up and blinks his eyes awake. _Oh boy... he looks tired._ His hair is all disheveled and his eyes are only half open, but when he looks up at me and smiles, I have a mini heart attack. _He's probably overworked... but damn... he's hot._ "Oh! You came!"

"Of course I did, who else is going to keep you company? Marx?"

Julius lets out a little laugh at that. _Gah! I made him laugh!_ "Well, I'm glad you're here." His voice softens a bit and he closes his eyes as he smiles. _...Precious._ Then, they snap open, sparkling uncontrollably. "Oh! Oh!" He suddenly jumps out of his chair and grabs my shoulders. I let out a yelp at the sudden contact. "Yesterday, I discovered something _big!_ I was going to write a letter to you- or go see you, but I got so wrapped up in the stupid birthday business that I wasn't able to!" He grabs my hand and starts pulling me to one of the chairs, which is covered with a pile of unorganized papers. "You're going to love this!"

The palm of his hand is surprisingly soft, but I don't have time to think about it as my curiosity takes over. "A discovery?" I repeat. "Did you actually find a lead?"

Juilus nods ten times in a row. He lets go of my hand ( _aww)_ and starts shuffling through the pile. "It's an old portrait from the Diamond Kingdom... it's in this art book, one second... here!" He pulls out a thick book and starts flipping through it. He finally finds the right page and beckons me closer. I gladly slide up beside him, and my eyes blow wide as dinner plates as I see the illustration.

It's of a man and woman, probably in their sixties. They're both smiling at the camera, real happiness in their eyes. They're dressed in a fashion that I don't recognize, draped in deeply patterned robes. But the detail that shocks me the most is their hands. The man holds up his right hand, and the woman holds up her left. Their pinkies are loosely entwined, but their palms are clearly visible. I feel all color drain from my face, and my hands go cold.

"...that's..."

They each had a mark. _My_ mark. The two loops of infinity are plainly displayed, identical in every single way.

I blink, having trouble processing this. "We found something... we actually found something..." I look up to see that Julius is grinning ear to ear. "...who are they?"

"Look." He points at the passage next to the picture, describing the contents. " _The two Simulcian ambassadors to the Diamond Kingdom."_

"Simulcian! That's the civilization that was destroyed a century ago, isn't it?" I ask, remembering that we came across information about them a while ago. "When was this drawn?"

Julius examines the page. "About a hundred years ago. This would have been made just before the volcano erupted."

"Wow..." I step away from his side, reaching up to touch my forehead. _So, there are other people like me... at least, there were..._ "This fits all of the categories. They had diplomatic relations with the Diamond Kingdom. Some of them, possibly all of them, had that mark. But..." I frown as a question pops into my mind. "The Diamond Kingdom reported that there were no survivors, and they had been wiped out..."

"Yet, a Diamond Mage mentioned them only months ago!" Julius finishes, walking back over to me and closing the book. "There's something going on here. The Diamond Kingdom is hiding something from us. Our own records show that a Volcanic eruption _did_ indeed occur, but there _must_ have been survivors."

I nod along, taking it all in. "There are people out there... maybe even my family." My face falls a little. "Maybe I'll never get to meet them, but it's comforting to know that I'm not alone."

There's a silence between us for a few moments as we both consider the situation. _Even if I know this now, it only opens up more questions. But most importantly, somethings still needs to be answered... what's the purpose of this mark? Is there a power I can use?_ I slowly raise my gaze to look back over at Julius. He's rubbing his chin, also deep in thought about the whole thing. He looks up and catches me staring at him. "Hmm?"

I blush a little, averting my eyes. "...Thanks for everything, so far. I never could have imagined that you of all people would want to help me. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here at all today." I clasp my hands together, wringing them slightly. He doesn't respond right away, and I'm sure my heartbeat is audible at this point. "It's... been a while since someone seemed to be interested in me- well-" I start stumbling over my words at the hiccup. "Interested in my- uh- my past, or future, or w-whatever-"

I'm cut off by his soft chuckle, and I realize that I'm staring right at his chest now. _Ah! When did he get this close?!_ Before I know it, his hands are on my shoulders again.

"It's been a while... since I've met someone so interesting."

The air is so thick with tension, you would need a sword to cut through it. Slowly, I reach up and place my hand on his wrist, the one resting on my shoulder. His skin is soft, and I can feel his pulse. It's racing as fast as mine.

_Five months ago, I was the most insignificant person in the entire world. I never thought anyone would care about me, other than my father. In that time, I lost him, but became a Magic Knight, began a new life... and now I'm standing here, in front of the Wizard King... What does he see in me? Is it the ancient magic stuck in my head? Is he just lonely? Is it because I'm pretty? I'm funny? Or a combination of all those things? This all happened so quickly, and I feel like I'm massively out of my depth... yet..._

I finally look up to meet his eyes. His lips are curved into just the tiniest of smiles, but his eyes... I never want to look away. It feels like I'm going to melt into a puddle right then and there.

_...oh god, is this real?_

He opens his mouth, about to say something, but only gets one syllable out before his office door swings open. We both turn to see Marx walk in with the tray of food he promised us earlier. His eyes fall on us, and he immediately regrets walking in at the time he did. "Oh- ah- I hope I'm not interrupting something?" He cringes and quickly walks over to the desk and puts the tray down. Julius's arms fall back to his sides and he lets a long breath out of his nose. "Thank you, Marx. I was just starting to get hungry."

"Hmm, thank you sir-" Marx replies nervously, straightening up and turning back to look at us. "Seriously, though... get back to work. I don't want the King up my ass tomorrow, God knows we have enough going on!"

"You're right, as usual!" I look up to see him smiling down at me again. "If you help me with my paperwork, it'll go much quicker."

"Yeah, sure!" I don't really have any idea what this paperwork is about, but if I can help him out, I will. The tension from the previous moments was quickly dissipating, but there wasn't much we could do about it now. _What was about to happen there, anyway? I shouldn't get my hopes up too much, after all._

Marx leaves soon after, and I pull up a chair and start filing through the piles of papers on his desk. I make a joke at some point about him keeping me around to be his secretary, which he scoffs at in a good natured way. "You know that's not true! But hey, if you ever get tired of the Magic Knights, I could use a secretary." I can't tell if he's joking or not so I laugh it off, and we go back to our comfortable silence.

Eventually, though, I notice something happen. Julius starts to get tired again, his head getting lower and lower as he writes before jerking back up. _Uh oh... he's exhausted._ Eventually, he just lets out a strangled groan and lets his forehead hit the wood, a little harder than he meant to. He just lets out a soft _ow_ before falling silent again. I pause my work and stare at him, starting to feel worried. His mood had changed drastically... as if he had just remembered something deeply disturbing or upsetting. "... Julius?"

"Hm?"

"Are you okay?"

He doesn't answer me for a couple of seconds, then he lets out the breath he was holding.

"Do you... ever feel like, no matter how far you climb, or how powerful you get, you'll never be able to get anything accomplished? Because... some people will never change?"

The question hangs in the air between us, heavy with some emotion I've never felt from him before. _He's talking about this job, right? This new position and responsibility that he's thrust upon his own shoulders. It's weighing him down, isn't it?_

"As long as more people eventually want to change, those who don't will become obsolete, won't they?" I respond quietly. "If you can get the younger generation to care about it, then it doesn't matter if the older one does, because... eventually, they'll be gone."

He considers it for a moment before sitting up again, letting himself fall back against the back of his chair. "...I suppose you're right," he replies softly. "I need to think about the future more... the present is too damn frustrating."

That's the first time I've ever heard him curse. It's kind of hot, not gonna lie. I offer him a little smile, which he thankfully returns. "I'm sorry, about whatever's going on."

"Don't be. I shouldn't have troubled you with my problems." He shrugs and lets out a large yawn, reaching up to cover his mouth. "God... what time is it?"

I glance out the window, and realize that it's dark. "...oh no."

Julius looks over at me, my tone suddenly getting serious. "What? What's wrong?"

All the color has drained from my face. "I-I think I passed curfew without realizing it!" I quickly jump to my feet, panicking. _Stupid! I got so wrapped up in all of this, I missed my ride home!_ "This isn't good... Fuegoleon is going to kill me!" I can't imagine the kind of scolding I'm going to get when I eventually got home. "I don't even have a broom-I'm gonna have to walk, it's so far away- ah! I'm sorry, I'm going to have to run, I-"

Julius grabs my hand, stopping my panicked string of words. He looks oddly... amused by the situation. "No, it's my fault you stayed out here," he tells me quickly, his voice somehow reassuring me. "So... I'll take you back. Follow me." He turns and pushes the window open before climbing through onto the roof. I have no idea what he's on about, but I don't really have a choice here, so I follow. He helps me out, and doesn't let go of my hand as I straighten up. "Do you trust me?"

I nod quickly, hoping that he has some trick up his sleeve. Julius's small smile suddenly widens into a smirk, causing my heart to skip several beats. _Oh oh, what's going to-_ I let out a yelp as one of his large hands suddenly grabs me around the waist and pulls me against his chest. He's so sturdy... and I was right, the robe is soft. "You better hold on tight," he warns me. Blushing profusely, I wrap my arms around his middle just in time- the next moment, we're moving.

I didn't think this speed was possible. I don't even have time to scream, the experience is so surreal. The only thing solid is his chest and arm, holding onto me as tightly as I am to him. Our surroundings are blurred, the wind pelting us as we shoot through the darkness. _Is this flight magic?! How are we moving so fast? Julius, why are you always full of surprises?!_

As suddenly as it began, it's over. He lets go of me, and I immediately stagger back and lose my balance. "Ah!" I almost fall over, but he somehow moves behind me quick enough to catch me. "What the hell was that?!" I demand, whirling around to scowl at him. "You scared me to death! At least _tell_ me next time you're going to whisk me away like that!"

"Oh?" I realize that he's on the verge of laughing, at _me!_ I want to be mad, but he looks so good that I just can't be. "You didn't like it? Look-" He gestures behind me, and I turn to see that we're outside the walls of the Crimson Lion base. "I got you home quicker than any broom."

He's right, I can't really complain. "...thanks," I say sheepishly, then tense up as I hear someone yell my name. "Uh oh, that's Fuegoleon!" I cringe and cover my face with my hands, bracing myself. "You better go... he's definitely going to yell at me." His presence here would be hard to explain, as much as I want him to stay. But apparently, Julius feels a little bad for distracting me today so he takes it upon himself to make it right... for better or for worse.

"Hmm... I have an idea."

Oh no. 

He places a hand on my shoulder, and together we turn and face Fuegoleon, who just ran out of the front gate. "You're almost two hours late," he immediately reprimands. "Sure, maybe you had the night off, but you still had a chore to do! Now someone else had to-..." His voice abruptly trails off when he realizes who's standing beside me. "W-Wizard King?!" He stammers uncharacteristically before dropping down on his knee. Fuegoleon quickly bows his head of of respect. "I'm so sorry, I wouldn't have raised my voice if I knew you were here, please forgive me!"

I glance over at Julius, a little shocked that he's doing this. Julius just laughs warmly. "It's alright! It's good to be strict." Fuegoleon looks up, glancing between me and Julius. His eyes narrow slightly. "I was just taking her home. Sorry for keeping her so late, but she's been helping me out with some research lately. Time got away from us, haha!" He chuckles again, and I do everything in my power to avoid Fuegoleon's stare. _I'm thankful that Julius is standing up for me... but I have a bad feeling about this._ "It won't happen again, please forgive us!"

Fuegoleon finally nods, rising to his feet. "I see... no harm done," he repeats. "Thanks for bringing her back. I was worried." _Worried? That's sweet._ Fuegoleon doesn't seem the type to get worried very easily. "Come on, let's go inside." I nod and start to follow him, but I'm stopped by Julius's hand on my arm. _Uh oh, what now?_

"Tomorrow... after the festivities..." Fuegoleon pauses as Julius whispers to me. "Why don't you join me for dinner?"

...

Dinner?

Wait, like a date?!

"Huh? Don't you have to- uh, you know, spend time with the King?"

Julius shrugs. "It's not really my scene. Augustus isn't fond of me anyway. So?" He smiles expectantly. 

_Not your scene? Aren't you a noble, too?_ I swallow the question with a nervous gulp. "Er... If I can, yeah. I might not have time."

"Ah, right." Julius finally lets go of me and steps back. "If you are free..." He winks. "I'll be waiting for you."

I quickly say goodbye and follow after Fuegoleon, who's oddly silent. _Eek! How much of that did he hear? I'm glad Julius invited me, but did he have to do it in front of Fuegoleon?!_ "I'm sorry about tonight, I don't want to make any excuses," I say quietly as we walk inside. "It won't-"

"Just don't let it happen again," Fuegoleon cuts me off. "I see nothing wrong. You had the Wizard King's permission after all." He stops as he's about to turn a corner and leave. There's a strange terseness to his voice, one I haven't heard before. "... goodnight."

"...Goodnight." I watch him leave before going my own way, my cheeks dusted pink. 

_Oh boy... what have I gotten myself into?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time... Chapter 18: the King's birthday. The day of the King's birthday arrives, but it's no time to rest for the Magic Knights. However, trouble is brewing... and Fuegoleon won't stop asking uncomfortable questions.


	18. the king's birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I gave you like three cute chapters in a row so now it's action and angst time lol

"It's way too early for people to be playing the trumpet!" I wince and cover my ears as the rest of the squad and I walk across the street in the capital. Indeed, somewhere in the distance, there's a band playing music that's a bit too energetic for 10:00 am. I didn't sleep very well last night, which doesn't make this situation any better.

"King Augustus's birthday is an all-day affair, from dawn until dusk," Fuegoleon explains to the small crowd of junior knights following him. He's almost like a tour guide at this point. "In the morning, nobles are expected to come present gifts in the plaza. Meanwhile, Augustus is accepting vows of fidelity up in his throne room. Then, around noon, he'll make a public address on the steps of the castle. I expect the Wizard King will make an appearance as well."

There's a soft whispering among ourselves at that fact- it seems like people are more excited to see Julius than the actual King, even if he's only been Wizard King for almost six months. "The festival will go on all day, so don't worry, you'll get some time to enjoy it," Fuegoleon continues. "The most critical part of our job will be at noon. The king will be out in the open for a period of time, so we have to be extra vigilant. Understood?"

"Yes sir."

"I'll be in charge at that point. The Captain will be joining the other captains at the address out of respect."

We round a corner, and I spot where the festival has been set up. Tents, stalls, stages, the whole works. There's a line of people leading to one of the tents, all clutching packages of varying sizes. Some of them seem to be nobles, but most are definitely commoners. None of them seem to be having much fun, even though this is technically a festival. _That's weird... even people with hardly any possessions of their own are expected to give the King a gift today. Does the King even need all this stuff? I bet he just throws it in some storeroom somewhere._ I'm not sure why, but the thought of it makes me a little mad. But there isn't much I can do about it. 

"Alright, listen up." We all stop and shuffle around to look up at Fuegoleon. "There's two hours before the address, but come meet me back at this spot in an hour! This isn't the time to get drunk, either."

"Yes sir!"

Despite the warning and overall somber atmosphere of the festival, we're all eager to enjoy ourselves just a little bit. We break up into groups and spread out to find things to do, but I quickly find myself stopped by Fuegoleon himself. "Would you mind joining me for a drink before this all gets underway?"

I was kind of looking forward to escaping his judgmental stares, but I don't really have a choice in the matter now. "Yeah, sure! Your treat, though."

We snake our way through the crowd, making our way to one of the eating areas that were being set up. This area seems to be a lot more cheerful than the place where people were lining up with their gifts. "Look, magic knights!" someone yells, spurring the rest of the crowd to let out a cheer. I look up at Fuegoleon, who's expression hasn't changed, but his eyes shine with pride. He's worked very hard to establish himself where he is today. I can't help but feel the same emotion swell up in my heart. _People really look up to us this much? I never knew_ this _could be so rewarding._ "Your first round's on us!"

"Thank you, but we're only having one drink each," Fuegoleon decides to be a buzz kill as usual. "I don't want to rip you off. Is this enough?" He drops a small bag of coins into the bartender's hand, and the guy's eyes look like they're about to melt out of his head. "Gah! This is enough! Two beers, coming right up!"

The rest of the crowd laughs at his frenzy, and Fuegoleon and I find a place to sit down. "Is this the only festival they have in the capital?" I ask, looking around at my surroundings. Even if the mood is lighter here, people don't seem to be as enthusiastic about the "holiday" itself.

"No, there's a couple throughout the year, like the New Years festival. That's a big one. But the one everyone's looking forward to this year is new..." He folds his hands neatly on the table, very becoming of a royal. "The Wizard King started the Star System as soon as he was appointed, and the upcoming Star Festival will announce which Magic Knights squad accumulated the most. People are really excited for it apparently... I guess competition really riles them up."

"I suppose _commoner_ interests need to be catered to every now and then, right?" I respond, teasing him a little.

"Oh, sorry, I wasn't trying to demean anyone," he quickly replies, well aware that I, myself am a commoner after all. The bartender comes by and drops off our drinks, and Fuegoleon takes a sip. "It's good."

He seems very on-edge today, his eyes darting around every corner of the square. Like he said before, protecting the King when he was out and about was crucial, but were we really going to have any problems? Who in their right mind would plan an attack while there were so many Magic Knights around? He glances at me again, then stares pointedly at his drink. _I bet he's still confused about that thing last night..._ I also avert my gaze and tag a swig of my beer. _You and me both, Fuegoleon. Should I say something? Or just wait for him to ask? I bet he will, at some point-_

"Fuegoleon, what a surprise."

I know that sour voice. We both look up to see Nozel Silva standing there with his arms crossed. A few other Silver Eagles are standing around behind him, and I spot Horatio there among them. I catch his eye and offer a small smile that he does not return. However, he doesn't scowl. _Character development?_

"Nozel, I'm surprised you aren't in court with your family," Fuegoleon replies stiffly.

"My father's there. Plus, I've been put in charge of the guard detail for later," Nozel tells him. "When everything goes according to plan, it'll be our victory."

Fuegoleon raises an eyebrow. "Will it? You aren't the only ones with important jobs today, you know."

Nozel actually smirks for once, the closest thing I've ever seen to a smile on his face. "Well, we have the _most_ important job. We'll just have to see who gets the most stars at the end, I suppose?"

"I suppose you're right." Fuegoleon smiles to himself and sips his beer. "Want to join us?"

"No, we have better things to do than associate with commoners." He looks pointedly at me for some reason, even though I know for a fact that Horatio is also a commoner. "See you at the luncheon."

With that, the Silver Eagles turn and float away, taking their pretentious attitudes with them. I exchange a glance with Fuegoleon once they're gone. "They're as pleasant as usual," I comment, letting out a small chuckle. "At least they get to see the king."

"Trust me, you aren't missing much," he mutters, almost under his breath. "That's not what everyone's excited about, though."

I nod, understanding what he means. Julius is exponentially more popular with the populace than the king, since he's created a lot of policies in such a short time that benefit the kingdom as a whole, rather than just those living in the noble realm. There's excitement in the air whenever he's mentioned, and people are looking forward to whatever he has to say today. Admittedly... so am I.

"Speaking of _him.._. um..." Uh oh. Fuegoleon stares pointedly down at his glass, his mouth opening and closing a few times as he considers how to say the next sentence. I remember the events of last night and feel a little mortified. _God, what does he think? Did he hear the dinner invitation after all? I wish I had kept this all to myself a bit better, I didn't mean to become the center of this kind of attention._ "Lord Julius said you were helping him research something... what was it?"

Okay, that was a pretty benign question. I sit up and clear my throat briefly. "Oh, well, we were trying to find some information about this-" He looks up with interest as I point at the mark on my forehead. He's never asked about it before, even though I've caught him staring at it a couple of times. He has a mark of his own between his eyes, so he probably assumed it was something similar. "It's not a tattoo, or a birthmark, or even a scar. You see... all my life, my magical powers were really weak, and didn't improve since I was a child. Then, one day, this mark appeared, and I was suddenly able to produce all kinds of spells. That was about six months ago, now."

"I see... and since you had that new power, you decided to join the magic knights?" I nodded in response. Fuegoleon considers it for a moment. "You don't know its origins?"

"Well, just yesterday, we stumbled across a picture of two people who had the same thing on their hands," I explain. "My father had it on his hand as well. They're people from a fallen civilization, about a century ago. However, there's reason to believe that there are survivors somewhere." I don't want to tell him too much about the Diamond mage or anything so I leave it vague. "If I can find them, I might be able to figure out if this mark has a power of its own that I can use."

Fuegoleon nods along, his brow furrowing a bit as he thinks about everything I've said. "Interesting... but how did the Wizard King get involved in all this? No offense, but isn't this a bit... uh..."

 _Under him?"_ That's probably what he wants to say, but I answer before he can finish. "That's what I thought... but he insisted. You see, I manifested this mark during a Diamond attack on my town. Julius and his old squad were nearby so they came to help. I ended up talking to him, and he said that he wanted to look into it." I can't help but let a complacent smile curl my lips at the thought. "We've been meeting each other ever since... but-" I gulp and let my face fall. "That doesn't excuse being late last night, I truly am sorry about that-"

"I know you are-" He cuts me off, offering a rare smile to calm me. "Don't worry about it. I can tell this is very important to you."

 _In more ways than one,_ I think. I remember the events of last night, the moments before Marx came and interrupted us. I really wanted to know what Julius was going to say to me then... maybe he would get the chance to say it tonight at dinner. That is, if I was even able to go. 

Fuegoleon sighs and leans back in his chair, a flash of melancholy crossing his features for a split second. "If you have prior arrangements tonight... I will allow it."

I blink, taking a moment to let that soak in. _...!!! Oh no, that means- he- he heard that invitation last night!_ My face immediately darkens to a shade of beet red. _This is so embarrassing... and yet..._

It takes everything I have to contain my glee. "...thank you. Sorry about all this-"

"Stop apologizing!" Out of nowhere, Fuegoleon karate-chops my head, causing me to yelp in pain. "It's inconsequential. You've worked hard enough, so enjoy yourself tonight. That's an order!"

Despite the pain, I can't help but grin stupidly to myself. "Yes sir!"

Eventually, it's time to get to work, and we quickly go to meet up with the others. "Don't stop patrolling your line of the perimeter until I come and get you after everything's over," Fuegoleon commands the group. "If you notice anything suspicious, call me immediately on your communicator. After it's over, you're free to enjoy yourselves for the rest of the day. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir!" we all chorus before breaking off to go to our posts. The crowd is slowly but surely moving towards the steps of the castle, where the address by the King is to be given. Well, _Kings._ I weave my way through the throngs, but eventually they get out of my way when they spot my Crimson cloak. _Hehe, look at me now! Whoever thought that I could be so important!_ I think about my family back home, all members but one would be proud of me today. _I wonder if I could convince Lyra and the kids to come up for the Star Festival later this year? I would love to see them again._ We've been writing letters constantly, but eventually I missed seeing her face as well, even if she looked frighteningly similar to my mother.

"Oi, look! Forehead girl!"

I pause and turn to see Yami and William walking towards me, followed by a few younger members of the Grey Deer. There's also a blonde woman there, maybe a year or so older than me, wearing the cloak of a Blue Rose Knight. She doesn't look like she's having the best time. Yami, however, is already red in the face, a cigarette stuck between his teeth. "We were looking for you! Wanna come watch the address with us? We're going to laugh at the king."

William pulls on Yami's sleeve. "Yami, I think she's-"

"Oh! By the way!" Yami pushes the blonde girl towards me. "This is Charlotte! She's not very nice to me but you're a woman so she might like you. Get along!"

Charlotte shoots him a death stare before bowing her head slightly to me in a greeting. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," I reply, looking nervously up at Yami again. "I'd love to come, but I'm supposed to be working right now!" I tell him quickly. Yami scowls and is about to say something, but I quickly finish. "We're done after the address, though, so I can come find you then?"

"Fine," he scoffs. "Come on."

William waves goodbye awkwardly as they move on. I sigh and turn to resume my walk, hoping this doesn't last too long so I can have some fun. _Just don't drink so much... I have a date tonight, remember! I don't want to do anything stupid in front of Julius!_

I finally reach the area I've been assigned to, and lean against a stone wall. I can hear the crowd chatting and making noise a little farther away. Luckily, this area seems pretty quiet; maybe there won't be any problems today. I let my mind wander to tonight, feeling my heartbeat pick up and something unfamiliar stir inside me. _I can't wait... what's going to happen?_ The whole unknown factor excites me more than anything else. _Maybe he'll tell me what he tried to tell me last night... maybe he'll even kiss me. Maybe... maybe we'll even..._

Even though there's not a soul in sight, I cover my face out of shame. _Ah! Don't get ahead of yourself! I'll just take it one step at a time..._ I finally lower my hands and smile at the pavement, my eyes focused on a dark spot a few meters ahead of me. 

_This is all happening so fast... but I don't mind. I've never felt this way about anyone before._ Sure, Julius was kind, passionate, easygoing, and handsome, but there was something else about him, something that I couldn't quite put my finger on. Whenever we were together, it was like we were fine-tuned... like two ends of a magnet, instantly drawn to the same spot. As corny as that sounds, that's the only way I know how to describe it, at least within my head. 

My eyes focus as I slip out of my daydream, noticing something strange. That spot of the ground, it's not just dark... 

It's red...

Frowning, I step off the wall and take a cautious step forward to get a better look. Yeah, it's red, and it's not just one spot. There's a line of red splatters leading through the now-empty plaza and around the corner. It doesn't take a genius to realize that it's blood. 

_Is someone injured?_ This plaza was crammed with people until a few minutes ago, so it's hard to believe that no one noticed a person bleeding out. But still... A knot of dread starts to tighten in my stomach, my instincts telling me that something is wrong. So, taking a breath, I walk forward and start to follow the trail. 

It snakes around the corner, down the sidewalk, into a few sketchy looking alleyways. By this point, I should probably be calling Fuegoleon, but there's a chance that this is nothing important, and he would be annoyed if I called him over. The King isn't supposed to speak for another 10 minutes, so there isn't any immediate danger yet. I continue to walk, then slow down as I see the end of the trail. It pools into a thicker puddle, a smear leading through a large door into what appears to be a warehouse. _Someone was dropped, then dragged inside..._ A bloody footprint is clearly marked beside the puddle. _They were dragged by another person..._

It's obvious to me at this point that it's foul play. Holding my breath, one hand on my Grimoire, I creep closer to the door. One side of it is ajar, and I press my ear up against the crack. There are two people inside, conversing in agitated whispers. 

_"Arachno, hurry up! We don't have much time left."_

_"Do you want this mana or not? We'd already be all set if you weren't so weak."_

_"Shut it! Do you want to be paid?"_

_"Of course, so let me do my job!"_

I frown. _Mana? Are they extracting mana from something? Why?_

_"At least no one noticed us drag this guy off... that drug worked just like you said it would, Geor."_

_"I told you, one stick with the knife, and they turn into an idiot. Those Silver Eagles aren't all they're cracked up to be."_

_"I'll say... this guy doesn't even have that much mana!"_

_"You're kidding! You've been sucking this guy for ten minutes now!"_

_"You're telling me? He's basically dead now, anyway."_

My blood runs cold. They've kidnapped someone... whoever this Arachno and Geor are, they have a captive, who's apparently also a Silver Eagle knight. What do they need the mana for? How are they extracting it? _Sucking?_

_"You better deliver, Arachno. I need as much mana as possible if I'm going to vaporize everything between that man's ears."_

_"I'm trying! This should be enough to at least knock him down."_

_"That's not ENOUGH!"_ Geor yells for a moment before lowing his voice again. _"If we can't kill HIM, there's no chance of taking out Kira."_

Kira?! As in, Augustus Kira Clover? The King? Then... "he" had to be...

_"We might have to call this off. We can't do it if we're not sure it'll be enough."_

My breathing is tight, shaky, barely audible as it passes through my open lips. These two guys, whoever they were... they were planning to kill Julius, and then Augustus, ten minutes from now. Maybe they're anarchists, terrorists, or just anti-monarch dissidents, but none of that matters. They were planning to kill him. _Julius._

 _They can't! There's no way they could ever kill him. Although... they're trying to charge up the one guy's magic, and they're pretty sure it'll work..._ I shake my head. _What am I thinking! They'll never even get close to him..._

_I won't let them._

By some strange fate, I was the one who stumbled upon this plot. And now it was up to me to stop it.

I let my Grimoire open, and, summoning all the courage possible, I step through the door into the room. The two of them look up at me immediately, their eyes widening. One of them (Geor?) is wearing the stolen Silver Eagles robe. "Oh crap!" Arachno curses. His Grimoire is open, and something that looks like cobwebs is trailing out of it and down to a body on the ground: the captive. _He's sucking mana out with cobwebs? Gross!_ "A magic Knight!"

I put on my most intimidating expression and plant my hands on my hips. "Can someone explain to me... what's going on here?"

The two exchange a glance, then smirk. "... we were waiting for you to show up, actually," Geor begins. "Arachno... I think I should test out our new attack."

Arachno smirks and withdraws his webs from the body, causing it to be dragged onto its back. My gaze flickers down for a moment at the movement... and then I freeze. 

That body...

It's Horatio. Laying there, bleeding out, staring sightlessly at the ceiling. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time... chapter 19: the dyad spell. The plan to kill both of Clover Kingdom's monarchs is already in motion. Is it too late to stop? Or will our heroine find a way to save them? Things don't look good at all... but desperate times call for desperate measures.


	19. the dyad spell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Okay so just a warning but this is definitely one of the most desperate, downright BRUTAL fights I've ever written
> 
> 2\. Don't worry the next chapter will definitely be softer! I've put you all through too much pain lately, you deserve a reward lol

_Horatio..._

_He was standing on top of the rock again, his "magic staff" in his hand. "I am the wizard king! Bow before me!"_

_The other kids giggled and did as he said. I was somehow roped into being his "servant" so I was standing behind him, staring off into space. I'm brought back to reality by a hard knock in the head. I cry out and stumble back, looking up to see Horatio brandishing his staff. "I said-" He raises it up. "BOW!"_

_I snap. The staff comes crashing down on me, but I manage to grab it in my hand. With a yank, Horatio goes flying, letting out a scream of surprise at my sudden strength. He rolls on the ground, skidding to a stop. With a groan, he sits up to see me pointing the stick right at his face. His cruel eyes narrow. "...what are you doing, Candlestick? You think you can defy me?"_

_"You're getting a little too into this, Horatio," I warn. The other kids stand back, afraid of what's about to happen. "And besides... you'll never be the Wizard King!"_

_"Huh?" Horatio grits his teeth and tries to stand up, but he twisted his ankle in the fall. "What makes you so sure?"_

_I don't know why... but my heart is pounding._

_"Because..._

_..._

Because...

Why am I remembering this now? This isn't the time for a poignant flash back! These two guys, Arachno (who has cobweb magic) and Geor (unknown magic) are stepping towards me, Grimoires out. If I'm going to save Julius, and avenge Horatio, I'm going to have to win this fight! I finally tear my eyes away from Horatio's body to look at these attackers. That's right... I need to win! "You're going to attack me? Bad idea!" I warn, flipping through the pages of my Grimoire. 

"Sorry, Miss... but we're going to need your mana." Geor grins. "Also... this is the perfect chance to try out my new attack."

Uh oh. Gritting my teeth, I cast my spell. "Flame creation Magic, Blazing Spear!" The weapon materializes, and I grab the shaft. "Bring it on! I'll burn you both to ashes!" My voice is dripping with anger, the only thing that can hide my fear right now. _They want to kill Julius! I won't forgive them!_

"Arachno, give me an opening."

"You got it!" Arachno balls his fists. "Cobweb magic: Spider Bondage!"

 _Bondage?! I don't like the sound of that! At least not with these two..._ I narrow my eyes and take a step back as a tangle of webs suddenly shoots towards me. "Ah!" I lash out with the spear, the flames cutting right through the threads, turning them to ash. "Cobweb Magic: Spider companions!" I realize that the web that I cut up is quickly consolidating and reforming into a new shape, dozens of little spiders that immediately start crawling up my legs. "Eek!" I let go of the spear and channel my magic around my body, causing a blue inferno to envelop me. The spiders squeal and disintegrate. 

_I've had enough of this! "_ Flame magic: Solar Bolt!" I hold up my palm, aimed right at Arachno as the energy immediately builds up. I've seen that my fire burns right through his webs, so I'm not concerned.

"Shit!" I release the spell, and it flies right towards his chest...

"Sound Magic: Vibration Barrier."

Something springs up in front of Arachno, a wall of trembling air, letting out a low roar. _Is that sound magic?!_ Solar Bolt explodes the moment it hits it, and I'm pushed back from the blast. Arachno squeals in fear. "Hot! Hot!"

"Honestly, you're so useless," Geor chides. I'm still trying to regain my balance when he raises his hands, pointing his index finger. There's something glowing there, a concentrated speck of sound energy-

"Sound magic: Regicide Bullet."

_Regicide? As in the murder of a king?_

I throw up a wall of blue flame to protect myself, but the small bullet shoots right through it. It only takes a split second, but I witness the entire thing. The bullet swerves in midair, changing direction, before making a beeline for the side of my head. 

No... it's heading for my ear...

I can't react quick enough, and the next moment, it's over. 

Geor smirks and mouths one word. 

_"Pop."_

I don't even hear the sound the bullet makes when it's in my head, but I sure as Hell feel it. It's like someone set off a flash bomb right next to my head. The world turns upside down, and I basically feel my right eardrum blow. I scream, but I can't hear anything but the sound of blood and a high pitched ringing sound. I slap my hand over my ear, as if that's going to help anything. A moment later, the ground comes flying up at me, and I hit the cold tile hard. 

I can't move. I can't hear. I can't even think. My entire brain has been dealt an enormous shock, too much for anyone to handle. _Is this... what they were going to do... to Julius?_

Something's wrapping around my body, pinning me to the floor. Two faces are glaring down at me. 

_"She's not dead... give me her mana. I'll take out her other ear and then we can get to the towers."_

_Towers..._

A hand reaches down, grabbing the front of my cloak, quickly undoing it and pulling it off of me. _No! Don't touch me! Please-_ Arachno puts on the cloak and holds up his hand. His voice is muffled like his mouth is full of cotton. _"Cobweb Magic... Spider Fangs."_ I feel several teeth suddenly pierce my arms and legs, and I let out another scream. I desperately try to free myself, but I can't- I'm trapped- something is in my mouth, muffling my cries for help. 

_"She's oozing with mana."_

_"Take what we need. She'll die of these wounds."_

The teeth dig in farther, farther, and I feel the mana being sucked out. I strain my legs and wrists, but it's absolutely futile. My eyes start to get heavy, my very life leaving my body. 

_"That should be enough."_

_"Good... let's go."_

I can't even move as I feel another Regicide Bullet hit my left ear. My eyes just widen, unseeing, tears leaking out of them. Everything is white with pain, all sounds drowned out by sheer _nothingness._

_T-They got me..._

I'm bleeding somewhere. My arms ache, but that's not it... the wound is in my stomach. I don't remember them hurting me there. I don't know how long I lay there, bleeding out, until the ringing in my ears finally dies down, leaving me to stare up silently at the ceiling. Somewhere nearby, Horatio is laying there, but I don't feel any mana coming off of him. At this point, I'm pretty sure all of my mana is gone as well.

_Am I just going to die here? Is this how it ends? Pathetic..._

To be beaten by the likes of them... I wasn't going to let that happen. It didn't matter if I was deaf, or blind, or bleeding my life onto the pavement. I had to win... for Julius.

_That regicide bullet hurt enough when it wasn't at full power, but now they have my mana, too... If Julius doesn't anticipate the attack, he'll be caught off guard. That bullet can change directions in midair, so he might not be able to block it... and at the end of the day, he's just a man, flesh and blood like everyone else. The chances are not looking good..._

_I wish I could do something, after you've done so much for me..._

His face flashes in my mind.

_That smile... his smile._

_I won't let them take_ _it away!_

Somehow, I manage to sit up, crawl over to the wall, and drag myself to my feet. My knees feel like they're going to give out at any moment, shaking like twigs at the end of a tree. My vision is blurry and all over the place, and I can't hear a single sound. I open my mouth and make a sound, but nothing reaches my brain. _Shit... shit!_ I can't let that slow me down. I look at my stomach, seeing the blotch of blood growing there. _It's not that bad... I can apply pressure as I go._ I reach down and press my palm against the wound, letting out a hiss of pain. _That'll have to do... go!_

The walk to the plaza is agonizing. My head is pounding, half of my face starting to go numb from the pain. It gets easier to walk, slowly but surely, but my head is spinning. The crowd grows around me. Everything is cloaked in an eerie silence, even though they're all cheering, oblivious to my wound as they're all transfixed on whatever's going on ahead. And why wouldn't they be? It's Julius.

They took my Grimoire with them, probably hoping to sell it. They took my cloak, stripping me of my rank.My communicator is gone, so I have no way to contact Fuegoleon, and there's no other Crimson Lions in sight. My only hope is to find one of the Silver Eagle guards and tell him what's happening. I finally stumble upon one at the edge of the crowd and try to push past him. He stops me and says something, but I can't hear. Mustering all my strength, I open my mouth and attempt to communicate. _"Danger... Wizard King... sound... magic... attack..."_

The Silver Eagle guy doesn't understand and is telling me to go away. I'm not wearing my cloak anymore, so he has no reason to listen to my gibberish.

 _Go away!_ He pushes me away from him, back into the crowd.

People are everywhere, on all sides, jostling and shoving me to get a better view of the Wizard King. My head spins, my stomach turns, my ears sting with pain. No one notices the blood leaking out of my ears, no one notices the blood that's seeping between my fingers and onto the ground.

 _Those guys... they mentioned a tower, right?_ I look up, blinking in the bright sunlight. The sky is so clear and blue today. There are two towers flanking the stairs into the castle... but which one did they climb? On a whim, I pick the left tower, shoving my way through the crowd until I'm inside. The Silver Eagle Guard at the base is laying on the ground, unconscious. _This is it... someone's up at the top. I need to climb._

And that's exactly what I do. I climb.

With each step I take, I can tell that I'm getting closer to heaven, one way or another. My balance is completely out of it, so I end up leaning my shoulder against the wall the entire way up the spiral staircase. _It hurts... I can't do it..._ are the only thoughts whirling through my groggy mind, but my body refuses to listen, trudging ahead and leaving a trail of blood on the steps and wall below me.

_One more step... one more step... one more step..._

And then, I'm standing in the sun once again. 

I blink, spotting one figure standing near the side of the tower. Damn... this is pretty high up. The person turns around, and my heart falls. It's Arachno, and he's alone. _No... No! Geor's the one who's going to kill Julius! They split up, didn't they?_ I spot my blue grimoire stuck into the man's belt. _But if I can get that back, I might be able to cast some magic that'll grab Julius's attention._ Clenching my fists to distract myself from the aching pain all over my body, I let out a silent yell and run at the man. 

He's shocked for a moment to see me up here, alive. His mouth moves to form words I can't hear, but I don't really care about what he has to say right now. Summoning whatever mana I have left, I use it to reinforce my fists. Sparks of orange flame crackle around them, and I swing down to hit him. He blocks it with his arm, but still lets out a howl as his sleeve catches on fire. _This guy isn't very fit, if I get one good hit on him, I can win!_ Determined now more than ever, I jerk my knee up to hit him in the hip. With another yell, he finally casts a spell, sending blades of his cobwebs shooting at me. I manage to burn a few, but the remaining ones knock me back onto the ground.

I'm not about to give up. Ignoring the growing taste of iron in my mouth, I get back on my feet and run at him again. And again. And again. Each time, he yells silent curses and sends me back down to the ground. My knees and elbows are bruised and bleeding, but I can't stop... I just can't...

_But this isn't enough... is it?_

Without that Grimoire, I'm not going to be able to block his spell and get close enough to burn him. He has me trapped up here, wasting time, until his friend can send a bullet of sound through Julius and Augustus's heads.

_"I'm going to vaporize everything between that man's ears."_

_No... NO! I have to have dinner with Julius tonight! We haven't figured out my secret yet! It can't end now! Everything just started to go right! I won't let this asshole take that future away from me!_

_So... just this once..._

_Let me draw from your power!_

My mark has only glowed once, the first time I used it to defeat the Diamond Mage months ago. Julius and I had concluded that it meant that my own magic had nothing to do with the Mark, at least not more than tangentially. But there was a power I could draw from it... no, from something else. Whatever it is, I found it. My mark is glowing, causing Arachno to stumble back in shock.

Somehow, I can read on his lips what he's asking me: _"What the Hell is that?"_

_I don't know either... but I'm going to use it to beat you._

Strength suddenly flows through my body again, erasing my pain momentarily. _Yes... that's it... now!_ With another vengeful yell, I push off the ground, balling up my fist as I shoot at the enemy, too fast for him to react. I can smell blood and smoke, entwined in the air around me. I'm not sure if Arachno moves to defend himself. I plant a flaming fist right in the middle of his face, and feel his nose crack. He goes flying, skidding across the ground and stopping at the base of the tower wall.

_I-I won!_

I probably have only moments left before I bleed out, so I don't waste a single second. I drop to my knees by the body and grab my Grimoire, opening it to the right page. _Something big... something flashy... I need to get his attention._ There! I can't hear my voice, but I cast the spell. _Flame creation magic: Flaming Condor!_

_..._

Nothing happened.

My hand is trembling in the air, no spell coming forth. It's all gone... the power I felt so briefly is gone, and the mana sucked away from me isn't returning. _No... no..._

I collapse onto my hands, taking deep, shaky breaths as I stare at the ground. Bright lights flash at the corners of my vision, my entire body starting to go numb.

_No... I was so close..._

Before I fall to the ground, I grab onto the side of the tower. _I... I can't... lose..!_ I pull myself up so my upper half is over the top. I can see the plaza below, full of people. On the steps of the castle are the captains, lined up behind Julius and the King. I can't see his face clearly, but I know it's him.

I yell his name, over and over again. He can't hear me, whether I'm too far away or the crowd is too loud. 

_No... no..._

My Grimoire is glowing, flipping to a new page, the writing bursting to life. A new spell... now? I might not even be able to use it, but it's my last chance. I glance down at the page, and see that there's a familiar symbol printed upon it.

_That's... that's my mark... why is it in my Grimoire? What is that spell?_

It's not like I have a choice. Without another thought, I reach out towards Juilus, and cast the spell.

Something hits me between the eyes. It hurts, and I fall backwards, darkness descending all around me. Something is ripping through my body, and it takes me only a moment to realize what is is: _Mana. More Mana than I've ever felt in my life..._

The pain reaches its peak, and for the briefest of moments, I cease to exist.

_Your magic will never be enough to get into the Magic Knights._

_Isn't he amazing? I never thought our son would have such powerful time magic._

_What's with that Grimoire? I thought you were a flame magic user._

_I've never seen a Grimoire without a cover before._

_You'll never be anything more than what I need you to be._

_Why are they even alive?_

_I'll never forgive you._

_This cannot be okay._

These memories... they aren't mine? But, some of them are? It's all so fast, all so vague, I can't make sense of any of it. My forehead burns, the mark pulsing with some power that I probably shouldn't have activated.

Something wraps around me. Arms... soft, calm, familiar...

_I'm not alone. But I'm in danger._

A man and woman stand there, hand in hand. Slowly, they turn around to look at me, two pairs of glowing white eyes boring into my very soul. Something is glowing from between their connected palms, an energy that is both familiar and foreign to me. I recognize them... they're the old Simulcian ambassadors from the picture Julius showed me.

_...Who are you?_

When they speak, they have only one voice.

_"I am your grandparents."_

_I am your grandparents..._

_What the Hell does that mean?!?_

Only one thought runs through my mind as I drift away.

_I hope it worked... Julius..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time... chapter 19: the wizard king. MC cast her spell, but was it enough to save Julius?


	20. the wizard king

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Finally... a soft chapter. That's all I wanna say ;) Posted a bit earlier than I initially planned.
> 
> 2\. Also I don't know if I should switch to third person when I changed POVs in the beginning, so I tried my best here, please let me know if the transition was awkward or anything.
> 
> 3\. I'm going to need to take few days off, I'll be back by the weekend for sure, though!

King Augustus Kira Clover was the most pretentious, annoying, unpleasant person that Julius had ever met. Julius usually avoided using terms like that to describe people, but this guy deserved it. Even though it was his birthday, the King didn't show a single shred of thanks for all the gifts showering him, and acted like the whole thing was a huge bother. _What wound you be doing otherwise? Lounging around on your bed with two young girls that are definitely being threatened?_ It was disgusting, but Augustus wasn't alone. The whole superior attitude permeated almost every member of the noble class, their wealth and power giving them reason to look down on those less fortunate than them. 

However, Julius has a trick up his sleeve. "I'll give my speech first," he says to Augustus as they wave at the crowd from the castle steps. "Best for last, after all."

Augustus begrudgingly agreed, and Julius stepped forward. He raised his hand, and a hush fell over the crowd immediately. 

"Friends, thank you for gathering here on our gracious King's birthday. It's because of you that our kingdom is so prosperous." There's a happy murmur in the crowd that dies down as Julius continues. They're holding on to his every word, completely captivated. This wasn't magic: it was just _him,_ someone they can tell is a genuinely good man, the first good man to hold the title in a long, long time. 

"The upcoming Star Festival is a celebration of our Magic Knights' hard work, but it should also celebrate yours. So, I've decided that there will be no entry fee this year, and everyone from all walks of life can come enjoy it."

A cheer rises up from the crowd at that declaration, and for the first time that day, the atmosphere is truly joyful. 

Julius smirks to himself. _Take that, Augustus! This is my payback for being stuck in court all day. I'd much rather be out looking at magic in disguise._ He turns to the King and gives a little bow, hiding his smug expression. "Your turn, your majesty."

Augustus clutches his staff angrily. _Damn you, Julius!_ he thinks before turning to the crowd. "Citizens! It brings me joy to see each of your smiling faces on my birthday!"

Hardly anyone is smiling. 

"It pains me to say this, but my job is so, so hard, so receiving gifts is your way of repaying me, to make it just a little easier for me..."

Julius sighs and lets himself zone out, uninterested in the King's pompous speech. _... what should I have the chef make us for dinner? How am I going to keep Marx out of my hair? I can't have him barging in every three seconds again._ He cringes at the thought a little, not noticing the buildup of mana high up in a tower on his right. 

_Maybe I should just explain everything to Marx, so he's not oblivious anymore. Ooh, I'm nervous! I hope everything-_

Then, it happened. 

Something hit him in the forehead, burning for a split second. _What? Did someone-_

That was all he managed to process before Julius ceased to exist for the briefest of moments. 

_Your magic will never be enough to get into the Magic Knights._

_Isn't he amazing? I never thought our son would have such powerful time magic._

_What's with that Grimoire? I thought you were a flame magic user._

_I've never seen a Grimoire without a cover before._

_You'll never be anything more than what I need you to be._

_Why are they even alive?_

_I'll never forgive you._

_This cannot be okay._

Who's thoughts are these? Who's life is this? Some of it was familiar, yet there was so much that had never even happened, as far as he knew. At least, it didn't happen to him. But there was something else there... a presence, warm, soft, familiar, calming, wrapped up in his arms.

_I'm not alone... but I'm in danger._

Two pairs of glowing eyes stared into his soul.

As quickly as it happened, it's over. Julius blinks his eyes, everything coming back into focus. The King is still rambling on, desperately trying to hold the audience's attention. No one seems to notice that anything is wrong. _What was that? A spell? Who cast it?_ He remembered the warning in his mind, placed there by some unfamiliar means. _I'm in danger. The tower on my left... someone's going to shoot a sound magic bullet and kill me._ He wasn't sure how he knew this all of the sudden, but he didn't have time to question it. Now that he focused on it, he could feel a buildup of mana coming from that very tower. _There!_

He raised his hand. "Time Binding Magic: Chrono Stasis!"

It wasn't a moment too soon. The bullet had already been shot, but it halts immediately in the air as a bubble of time envelops it. The crowd screams in surprise, interrupting Augustus's speech. Julius could just barely see it, the small pellet of sound energy that had been streaking towards him. _That was close... but the attacker is still up there._ With a simple flick of his wrist, Julius sent the bullet shooting back the way it came, accelerated tenfold. The crowd scrambles to get out of the way, but they aren't in danger. The bullet hits its originator right in the chest, and there's a faint scream as he falls over, unconscious.

"Julius! What the Hell?" Augustus angrily yells, shaking his fist. "Are you trying to one-up me again?! I won't take it any more, you-"

"Your Majesty, there was an assassin up at the top of that tower." Julius cuts the man off with a calm voice. The King's eyes widened, and the captains quickly moved to surround him and Julius. "And... there's another..." His gaze swept across the plaza to the other tower, the one on his right. _The spell came from there..._ Even though he'd never been up there, he could somehow picture the scene clearly; a desperate fight with a cobweb mage, and an unknown spell, cast at the last moment possible. Julius already knew what he would find when he finally shot off the ground, causing _oohs_ and _ahhs_ to emanate from the crowd below. _Please, don't let me be too late!_

He landed on the top of the tower gracefully, and immediately felt his heart stop. It was exactly as he envisioned it: The enemy mage was laying there unconscious, a giant scorch mark burned into his face. Not far away, there was another body, _her_ body, slumped over at the base of the tower wall. His eyes lowered to the ground, where he saw her Grimoire laying, about a quarter of it dissolved away already. _How could I let this happen? She's alive, but hurt... so hurt..._ Julius was immediately by her side, and gently rolled her into his lap, wincing slightly when he saw her wounds. There was blood coming out of her ears and nose, and her eyes were glassy as she stared at nothing. The worst part was the stab wound in her stomach, gushing her life out onto the stone. And yet... _It's alright... this is something I can fix!_ He place a gentle hand on her stomach. _"Chrono Anastasis."_

To his great relief, the time-reversal spell activated, rewinding her wounds and causing them to close up. The stain of blood on her stomach quickly shrunk, as if it had never been there in the first place. Her breathing strengthened slightly, her eyes flickering closed. Her wounds were gone, but something was still wrong... she was trembling all over, her skin cold to the touch. _Her mana's completely depleted._ Julius glanced over at the unconscious enemy, who twitched in pain. _Yet, she still managed to come up here and beat him..._

"Julius! I demand an explanation!" Augustus spotted the Wizard King emerging from the entrance at the bottom of the tower and started to walk over quite brusquely. The King was red in the face from a combination of fury and embarrassment. _He always has to be the hero, doesn't he?! Flying around, showing off his power!_

"Sir, please, it's not safe yet-" Marx was following behind Augustus, but froze when he saw who Julius was carrying. "Is t-that- is she-"

"She's alive," Julius responded, his expression oddly stern. "I'm taking her to the medical tower now."

Augustus grit his teeth and pointed at the body. "Who the hell is this?"

Julius recoiled from the accusing finger slightly, holding her a bit closer as if to protect her. "I'll explain everything later, Sir. This Knight saved both of our lives. Come on, Marx." 

Marx gulped, glancing at the King one last time before following after Julius. Julius seemed almost... angry? In the three months that Marx had known him, he'd never seen him like this. Augustus opened his mouth to yell something, but he couldn't think of anything clever to say so he decided to shut up. "Tch. Whatever. You better have a good reason for ruining my speech," he muttered before being ushered away to safety by his guards. _That Knight saved both of us? Impossible! I saw Julius stop that attack himself. What's he on about this time?_ Augustus was mad, confused, and indignant, but one thing was for sure: _I'm never going to understand that man!_

* * *

_"She manifested the spell, didn't she? I felt it." The man rubbed the mark on his forehead as he paced the room, agitated._

_The old couple nodded in unison, standing in front of him. "It didn't last long, only a moment. It was weak."_

_The man stopped pacing at that bit of info. "Why's that? Is she unable to synchronize?" That would throw a wrench in their plan._

_The couple now shook their heads. "No... the problem was the person she cast the spell on. I've never felt that much mana in my life. She probably would have died if she held on any longer."_

_"Interesting... very interesting." The man glanced over at the couple, his eyes flickering down to their entwined hands. The two of them were perfect for each other... not only because their magical attributes were compatible, but because they had similar mana levels when apart. A perfectly balanced Dyad... but that could change, if their granddaughter managed to get stronger. "Keep me updated... as long as she doesn't use that spell again, we'll be able to continue with the plan."_

_He smiled to himself._

_"Hang on a little longer, my niece... we're almost ready for you."_

* * *

Someone's snoring. 

Two thoughts immediately form in my half-awake mind. 1: Who the Hell is snoring? And 2: ... I can hear again!

My eyes blink open as I finally wake up. I'm curled up in a bed, my face buried in a pile of pillows. I'm covered by layers of blankets, and something soft and warm. I yawn softly and close my eyes again, shifting slightly under the blankets. My hand slides up and I touch my ear lightly. I can hear the friction of my fingers against the shell. _Someone managed to fix my ears... so I survived?_ Slowly but surely, the memory of the prior events seep back into my mind. _That fight! Did I win?_ _Did I make it in time?_

Even though my limbs are aching with exhaustion, I manage to prop myself up on my elbows and get a look at my surroundings. It's bright, a little too bright, thanks to the open window on the other side of the room. White curtains drift lazily in the breeze. Everything is so white and clean; even the air. _Huh... Maybe this_ is _heaven? Or maybe just a hospital._ I look down at the bed to see the blanket that was wrapped around me. It looks familiar... very familiar. 

_Oh! This isn't a blanket! This is Julius's robe._ Wait, if his robe is here, does that mean-

Someone snores again. I look around for the source of the noise, quickly realizing that there's someone sleeping in the chair next to my bed. I almost don't recognize him without the robe... but it's unmistakably Julius. 

Without warning, I feel my eyes start to water at the sight. _... Julius..._

There are two reasons that I'm especially happy to see him. 1: He's not wearing that big, amorphous robe right now so I take a moment to get a good look at him. He's lean yet sturdy, with long arms and legs. The belt of his tunic is loosened, allowing for some comfort as he slumps over in sleep. His head rests on his own shoulder, the collar of his shirt undone. He looks... insanely good, even as he snores away in what can't be a comfortable position. 

And... 2:...

_You're alive... I made it in time, somehow._

I sniff a little and reach up to wipe my eyes, burning with tears. My memory of back then is still murky, but at least I now have time to process everything. The two assassins... they wanted to kill Julius so they could take out the King. Horatio was drained of all his mana back then. Is he okay? Did someone find him? I used a spell, the new spell that appeared in my Grimoire alongside the symbol on my head. And then... those two old people, the ambassadors from more than a century ago...

_"I am your grandparents."_

That still didn't make any sense. I suspect that I hallucinated that whole part. 

Slowly, I swing my legs over the side of the bed and stand up. My balance is surprisingly good, although I'm a little chilly in the thin nightgown I've been dressed in. Letting out a yawn, I tiptoe my way over to the window and peer out. I'm in one of the upper floors of a tower, in the castle town. I can see the castle close by as well. From the position of the sun in the sky and the orange tint, I can tell that it's almost evening. Did I sleep for an entire day? How embarrassing! I reach down and touch my stomach. It doesn't hurt... someone must have already healed the nasty wound that had been there so recently. _Medical Magic never ceases to amaze me._

I suddenly become aware that Julius isn't snoring anymore, and quickly turn around to see him awake. He's sitting up straight in his chair, staring at me as if he's seen a ghost. His surprise slowly melts into relief, and he gives me a smile that lights up the entire world. 

"... you're awake..."

The way he says that, as if he's convincing himself that it's true, that I have, indeed, recovered... it makes me want to cry. I can already feel my eyes watering, and I try to blink away the tears. _Come on... don't cry in front of him, not now._ I swallow thickly and let myself smile as well. _He's here... he really waited for me to wake up!_ His joy suddenly fades, and he quickly rises from the chair to his full height, his face forming worry. "Y-your nose!"

 _My nose?_ My hand comes up to check, and when I pull it away I see that there's blood. My nose started bleeding, and I didn't even notice! _How embarrassing._ "Ah! Whoops," I quickly cover it and turn my face away, mortified. It doesn't hurt, but my whole body just feels weird, like something within my internal chemistry is thrown off. 

"Here, I got it."

I look up to see him walking towards me, handkerchief in hand. My hand drops to my side again as he approaches, my heart fluttering a little. _Ah! So helpful!_ He reaches out, and I lean into his hand. But the moment his fingers touch my skin, a strange sensation suddenly jolts through me, like static electricity, but more... ominous.

_That spell I used..._

It all comes flooding back. The memories, the sensation, the- the pain... it was like every cell in my body was being drowned by the sheer amount of mana, unfamiliar mana that didn't belong inside me. It hurt, it hurt so much...

My body recoils instinctively, and I take three rapid steps back, only stopping when my back hits the wall. Julius looks alarmed, his hand still hanging in the air. "What? What's wrong?" 

For a moment, I feel like I'm about to pass out again, but everything calms down as quickly as it started. I clench my fists at my sides for a moment to stop the tremor in my hands, taking a deep breath through my nose. When he approaches me this time, I don't shy away. I let him tilt my face up, and he tenderly wipes all the blood away. My eyes aren't quite focused yet, still blurred by the sudden recollection. A million questions are streaking through my brain, demanding to be answered. _What was that spell? Where did all that mana come from? Why did I suddenly get someone else's memories?_ "Come on." I hardly react as I feel his arm wrap around my shoulders, gently guiding me back to the bed. "It's probably too soon for you to be walking around."

I nod slowly, letting him support me. I feel okay, but not great. "...Sorry, I don't know what just happened," I finally speak, my voice a little strained. The bed is soft as I sit down on the edge, and I'm thankful when Julius sits down with me, refusing to let go. Usually, I'd be losing my mind over the contact, but I'm not quite tuned into that right now. "How long was I asleep?"

"Just a couple of hours," Julius responds. His large hand is cupped over my shoulder securely, his index finger lazily rubbing circles in my skin. I start to become aware of how close he is, but I ignore it for now. For some reason... I can't bring myself to be embarrassed about it, it just seems _natural._

"And... those assassins-"

"We got both of them, thanks to you." I turn my head to look up at him. He's gazing down at me with a mellow smile. "Marx already looked through their memories. Apparently they were being payed by some anti-monarchy group to take out the King." He rubs his forehead sheepishly, closing his eyes momentarily. I don't think they had anything against _me,_ I was just in the way!"

I nod a little before redirecting my eyes to the ground. "I see..." I glance at the hand on my shoulder again, feeling my cheeks start to heat up. He's warm, though, and I unconsciously start leaning into his side little by little. "Horatio?"

Juilus's expression darkens a little. "He's alive... but he hasn't woken up yet. His mana... it might never fully recover."

 _... that's right. They only took what they needed from me, but they took_ everything _from him._

"... I wish I had gotten there earlier. Maybe I could have saved him-"

"Don't dwell on it." He cuts me off, his voice serious. "You did enough by yourself... I can't believe that you went through all of that." His brow furrows, and he looks a bit upset at the thought. For a moment, I wonder if he's mad at me. I acted completely on my own, after all (although, that wasn't entirely my fault, they _did_ steal my communicator). But I'm proven wrong when he suddenly wraps his other arm around me and pulls me into his chest. I let out a small sound of surprise, freezing up as he buries his face in the top of my head. 

_"...I can't believe you had to go through so much pain for me. I'm sorry."_

_Sorry?_ I can't seen think up a response right now. The combination of thrill from being held by him and shock from his admission was causing my brain to short-circuit all over the place. "...Julius, I'm a magic knight," I finally say, my voice muffled against his shoulder. "It's my duty to fight against danger like that."

"I know, I know." Julius lets out a heavy sigh, his grip suddenly tightening slightly. "But still... I'm the Wizard King. No matter how popular I get, there's still going to be people who want to hurt me. I shouldn't have let anyone get hurt on my behalf. Especially you..." 

The weight in his voice tells me everything I need to know: _He feels like he failed me..._ My eyes start to sting with tears again as I finally slide my arms around him, clutching onto his shirt tightly. "You have no idea how much you've done for me," I mumble, turning my head slightly. I can hear his heartbeat through his chest. _So strong.. so steady._ "I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to repay you. You've gone so far out of your way to help me, even if this mystery keeps pulling us in unpredictable directions."

He lets out a small chuckle and pulls back slightly, peering down at my face with slightly-narrowed eyes, studying my every expression. "It _has_ been one thing after another with you."

 _?? What's that supposed to mean?_ I frown a little up at him. "Oh... I guess you're right, sorry." I feel a bit embarrassed, like I've done nothing but cause trouble. I almost pull away, but he doesn't loosen his grip.

"Ah! That's not what I meant!" He cringes at himself, stumbling over his words. "I meant that more like- I'll never get tired of you? Gah!" He lets go of me and hits his forehead with the heel of one of his hands, the other arm waving around desperately. "That doesn't sound good either... I guess I'm trying to say... uh..." I've never seen him lose his composure like this, and it's a little frightening to behold as his face reddens to a shade befitting a tomato. _Sometimes it's hard to believe he's the Wizard King..._ He freezes when he hears me giggle at his behavior. "I'm just making a fool of myself now, aren't I?" Julius grins boyishly and rubs the back of his neck. 

"No, no, not at all!" I manage to contain my laughter. "It's... sweet."

There's a spark of understanding in his eyes as I say those words, gleaning the meaning that I was hiding for so long. This strange, tense, unspoken thing between us was fighting so, so hard to be _spoken,_ to be brought out into the physical word after so long. His blush deepens and he averts his eyes from me. "Ah... shucks."

 _Shucks? Did he really just say that?_ As funny as that phrase is, I don't want to miss this chance. Steeling myself, I lean up and plant a quick kiss on his cheek. I sit back again and smirk to myself as Julius turns to stare at me. That obviously caught him completely off guard. He opens and closes his mouth a couple times, incredulous, and my expression falters a bit. _Uh oh, did I misjudge this-_

I definitely didn't misjudge it. Julius basically pounces at me, his hands coming up to cup my face as his lips crash into mine. I let out a small gasp in surprise; I was NOT ready for such an enthusiastic reaction, and it takes me a few seconds to process what's happening. 

_He's kissing me. We're kissing. AHH!_

It's nothing like my very first kiss, which was just a drunken moment between me and some guy I was flirting with at the inn. This is the culmination of months of pining and being too scared to bring up the feelings inside ourselves. It's... nothing short of _heavenly_ to finally express everything this way. We didn't need words, only our lips. He's still soft and gentle, but I can feel a deliberate energy in every single move he makes. I finally close my eyes as I kiss back, reaching up to run my fingers through his hair, holding onto him as if my life depends on it. 

Sadly, we're both human and need to breathe, so we're forced to pull back after what felt like an eternity of bliss. I let out a few shaky breaths before looking back up into his sparkling eyes. _Did that really just happen? Is this real?!_ I can't help but smile, then bury my face in his shoulder to hide it. His body vibrates with a warm laugh, one of his hands stroking through my hair slowly. "Not bad, huh?"

I nod, sitting back again to face him. "That was..." The end of my sentence is forgotten as we both laugh, both of us still basking in the moment, finally realizing that yes... this is reality. 

I close my eyes for a moment, leaning in. He takes the cue and presses his forehead against mine. "I was worried..." he finally says. "I didn't know if you were nervous around me because I was, you know, the wizard king, or if you actually had a crush on me."

"Huh? You could tell?" I pull back and look at him indignantly. Julius just laughs at my face. "You weren't very good at hiding it." He smirks and ruffles my hair. "Don't worry... it was cute." He winks.

I almost want to look away out of embarrassment, but he moves in for another kiss before I can. I gladly accept it, wrapping my arms around his neck. The next thing I know, he leans into me until we both tip over. "Ah! What are you doing?" I get out as he starts kissing down my neck. 

"We're making out," Julius replies simply, adjusting himself on top of me. I'm definitely beet red by now, I've never been this... close to a man before. 

"Don't you have work to do, or something?"

"Yeah, definitely." 

Right at that moment, we hear a pair of footsteps stomping their way towards my room. "Speak of the Devil!" Julius throws a glance over his shoulder before looking back down at me. "Quick, pretend to be asleep!"

He collapses beside me and we both pretend to slumber (Julius has a pretty convincing fake-snore). The door swings open. "Julius! You really should..." Marx's voice trails off when he spots the two of us, and he remains silent for a good minute and a half. Then, he lets out a heavy sigh. "For goodness' sake... took you long enough." With that, he turns and leaves, closing the door softly behind him. Julius bites his lip to keep from laughing as our eyes flicker open. Crisis averted. 

That being said, I'm starting to feel fatigued again, and let out a soft yawn. Julius immediately notices. "You want to actually sleep?" I nod slowly, loosening my grip on him so he can leave. "If you insist." He slides off the bed and pulls his robe up to cover me again. I smile and whisper a quiet _thank you._ "No... thank you." He smiles and brushes a strand of hair out of my face before straightening up. "I'll be back soon with some dinner... you're not getting out of our date."

"Good." My heart soars a little, glad that we can still have that moment. I finally close my eyes, and hear him start to walk off. However, he pauses before he reaches the door. 

"... that spell you used on me... the one that warned me about the assassin."

My eyes snap open as he mentions it. _That spell... that's the one that hurt. The one that appeared with that symbol in my Grimoire._ "Yeah?"

"We'll need to talk about that later. It was..." His voice trails off a little. "... very interesting. When you feel better, maybe you can cast it again."

_Cast it again._

For some reason... the thought of using that spell again strikes some primal fear in my gut. Something that tells me that I can't do it again... not if I don't want to die. 

"... yeah, maybe."

"Get some rest. I'll be back soon."

Julius gaze lingers on me for a moment longer, before he turns and leaves me alone with a multitude of thoughts. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY! Only took, like, 20 chapters lol. Would you be interested in seeing more "spicy" scenes going forward? Bc I kind of want to start writing them lol. 
> 
> Next time... Chapter 21: the broken dream. MC visits Horatio, who's in a bad place after the attack. The King himself is demanding an explanation for the disturbance, but the mysterious spell refuses to reveal any secrets.


	21. the broken dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Hey, I just wanted to thank everyone for their support! I love reading your comments and theories. Also, some people have reached out saying that they want to draw fanart! OMG! Shout out to you guys, please send me anything you draw bc no one's ever done that for me before.
> 
> 2\. A slight update about the publishing schedule: I've been publishing chapters almost daily for about 2 weeks now, so I'm going to slow down a bit. Don't worry- still multiple chapters a week! I have another fic I've been neglecting so I need to find a better balance.

When I wake up early the next morning, my joints are absolutely killing me, and I groan as I curl up in pain. Dinner last night was nice, and Julius stayed with me until I eventually fell asleep, but it seems like he was called away soon after because he's not here anymore. I can practically hear my bones creak as I sit up, rubbing my eyes and face. My room feels chilly, and I wrap a blanket around my shoulders before standing up. 

Luckily, a nurse comes in with breakfast a minute later. "Oh! You're awake! But-" She makes a _tut tut_ noise and grabs my chin, pulling out a handkerchief. "Your nose bled again last night, dear. We have a warm bath ready for you!"

I let her wipe the dried blood off of my nose. "You know, I think I'll just take the bath. I'm not feeling too hungry."

"That's fine! Eat something afterwords, though, okay? I'll leave the tray in your room."

She helps me down the hall to the bathroom, leaving me to enjoy my bath. The water is pleasantly hot, contrasting against the coldness of my skin. I sigh and sink down into the bubbles, submerging momentarily before sitting back up. _This is nice... It's nice to take a bath by myself. The water isn't scalding, either._

I sit there for a long time, scrubbing ny hair and body down even though I'm fairly clean already. After washing, I lean back and stare at the ceiling, remembering everything that happened. For a while, all I can think about was the time I spent with Julius, and my cheeks redden at the thought. _I'm still shocked that all happened... it doesn't seem real! I never thought I would ever find a guy as perfect as him, much less have him reciprocate my feelings!_ I briefly wonder what my mother would say if I told her. Actually, she would probably be happy. _He has good, noble genes, AND he's rich?! Maybe you aren't such a failure after all._

Eventually, I start thinking about the more serious matter at hand: the spell. Last night, I showed Julius my Grimoire, and the spell that I used on him. There were quite a lot of unusual factors here: One, the spell was outside of my magical attribute, fire. Two, the mark on my forehead was inexplicably printed on the page of that spell, alongside a block of text in a language neither of us knew. Three, I was able to use the spell at a long range, even when I had basically no mana. The effect was different than when I used my mark to tap into the unknown power source... So I asked Julius when he felt when it hit him. 

"For a moment, I felt like something was being burnt into my head." He pointed at his forehead, right next to his star-shaped emblem. "But it only hurt for a moment. Then... everything kind of disappeared. My body, the stage, the king... But I wasn't alone... I felt someone else there, close to me. So close, I couldn't really tell where they ended and I began. But there were also two others... I only saw their eyes, but they were glowing. All the while, my memories were being mixed with unfamiliar ones. It was like..."

"Like you became a different person?" He looked up at my statement, giving a little nod. I sighed, frowning. "That's exactly what I experienced..." Well, almost. I saw the two people there clearly, and recognized them as the old ambassadors. Why were they there? They couldn't possibly still be alive? And they said they were my grandparents? Julius was perplexed by this as well, and he agreed when I suggested that I hallucinated the grandparents part. Also, where he felt very little pain, my body almost immediately became overwhelmed with agony. I left that part out. 

"When it was over, you somehow had put information into my head that I couldn't possibly have known. The danger, the state you were in... I don't remember it clearly now, but in that moment..." His voice trailed off, and I looked back up to see him staring at me. "... I felt like I understood you completely."

_I'll never forgive you._

_This cannot be okay._

He squeezed my hand, and I nodded in agreement. We talked a bit longer and came to the conclusion that the spell allowed me to zap my thoughts and conciousness into his mind, delivering the warning. It was a strange experience, and when Julius talked about trying it again, his eyes basically shined with excitement. I laughed it off nervously and quickly changed the subject. "It's strange though, a telepathy spell? Is that something to do with the Simulcians? Because that's far out of my attribute."

"Hmm, that's what I was thinking. Too bad we don't have much information about them," Julius replied. "I mean, I use magic that's outside of my attribute at times, but-"

"Time magic, right?"

My words caught both of us by surprise. "...how do you know that?" Julius asked me, his eyes widening. My face paled at his words. _Wait, how DO I know that?!_ "I never told you about it."

"I-I'm not sure..." I squeezed my eyes shut, tryimg to remember. "When I cast that spell... those memories I received..."

_...powerful time magic..._

"They were your memories!" My eyes widened. "You use time magic... and your Grimoire doesn't have a cover!"

I wondered if Julius was upset for a moment, but his smile widened. "That's amazing!!!" He could hardly contain himself. "Wow... that's almost like Marx's magic! So, that means that the memories I saw were yours..." His voice suddenly trailed off at the look on my face. _Oh no... there's some stuff in there that even I wanted to forget..._

Luckily, Julius didn't press the subject. Eventually, the subject moved on, and we laid there until I fell asleep. I sigh heavily at the memory and close my eyes, soaking up a few more moments in the tub. At least everything was improving, now... if nothing else, I had Julius.

Before my fingers get all wrinkly, I climb out of the tub and dry myself off, pulling on a fluffy bathrobe. The nurse isn't back yet, but I'm feeling refreshed so I can manage the walk back to my room myself. _Horatio is in here somewhere, right? I hope he's doing okay..._

I open the door to a very strange sight. Two people are sitting in my bed, feasting on the breakfast the nurse brought me earlier. I stand there for a moment, stunned, before they notice me. "Forehead mark girl!" Yami greets, raising his hand slightly before reaching back onto the tray to pick up another pastry. "Want some?"

"I should be the one offering, that's _my_ food after all," I tease, feeling my face relax into a smile at the sight. I'm not that hungry anyway, I'm just glad to see them.

William's face brightens and he quickly slips off of the bed. "I'm glad you're walking around, we only heard rumors about how badly you were hurt." His eyes look a bit sad beneath the mask, and I wonder what exactly it was he heard. 

"Well, I've been awake since last night," I assure him quickly.

"Good..." William places a kind hand on my shoulders. Despite having half his face covered, the gesture conveys what he's feeling: relief. "We were both really worried."

I raise an eyebrow and look over at Yami, who just shrugs. _They really are good friends... I'm glad they're here._ "It was a pain to convince our captain to let us visit, so you better tell us everything that happened," Yami commands while he chews. "There are three rumors going around: One, you died taking out an assassin. Two, _you_ were the assassin and are being guarded in this tower, and three;" He pauses to take another bite. "This whole thing was a ploy to make Julius look good."

My eyes widen slightly at this new information. Of course, none of those rumors are true, but just their mere existence but me in some level of danger. _Calm down... I don't know what the King actually thinks!_ "Yeah... I'll set it straight." I sigh and let myself sink down onto the edge of the bed, quickly joined by William. "There were two assassins. I caught them draining magic from another magic knight, and they were able to knock me out. One of them had sound magic, and I think he burst both of my eardrums."

Yami and William both wince heavily. "Holy shit," Yami states. "That's..."

"Horrible," William finished, looking disturbed. "But... then what?"

They're on the edges of their seats as I finish my story, trying to keep it less gory as to not worry them too much. "...I was all out of magic, but I managed to catch Julius's attention. He stopped the other attack, apparently, and then I woke up in here."

Yami frowns and blinks a few times, taking it all in. "...damn. So... it was you?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"They cleared out the square right afterwards," William explained. "But even after everyone was ushered away, all they would talk about was how amazing Master Julius was. In their eyes, he saved them, and showed just how capable he was as Wizard King. But..." He smiles a bit. "He couldn't have done it without you. Because you didn't give up... both Julius and the King are still alive."

My face heats up. I hadn't really thought about it that way. To me, it seemed natural to risk everything for them... well, for Julius. I wasn't really thinking about the King when going through all of that. "I... suppose so."

"Look at you, pretendin' to be all humble!" Yami lets out a bark of laughter and pats me on the back kind of hard. "Haha! Sorry- Haha! You must be proud of yourself somewhere in there, right?"

"Ah, I suppose so!" I laugh nervously and rub my face, averting my eyes.

"You should be." Now William has decided to embarrass me. "I'm sure you'll be rewarded by the King in some way."

That would be nice! I smile to myself and look over at Yami, who's smirking. _Oh no!_ "Not just the King... Julius probably has something planned for you as well." He laughs again at my reddening face.

"Yami, don't tease her," William scolds him. "Whatever happens... we'll be happy for you!"

"Thanks William... Yami..." My voice trails off again. _Wait? Why do I feel like I'm going to cry?! Stop!_ I swallow deliberately and stare at the ground. "...I never thought I would ever have friends like you guys. I'm sorry I worried you..." I smiled and looked back up at the two of them. "Thank you for everything!"

The two of them stare at me for a moment, silent. "...Of course we're your friends. Who else am I supposed to be friends with?" Yami grunts, setting the tray aside. "We're the three weirdest members of the magic knights, so it's only natural that we stick together."

"That's right," William adds. "You don't ever have to doubt us."

My chest tightens at those words, but I hold back the tears. "Right... and you don't ever have to doubt me. Come here!" Without really thinking, I throw my arms around both of them, pulling them into a hug. Yami immediately makes a sound of protest, grumbling something about _"I didn't know you were so sentimental."_ Before returning the hug. William chuckles and wraps an arm around both of us. He understood how I felt more than I could know at the time.

The three of us eventually break apart and start talking about something else, but are interrupted when the door swings open and the doctor walks in. He's a bit older than us, his hair already starting to grey. "Yami? William? What are you doing here? Are you bothering her?" he snaps, pausing in the doorway.

"Owen! Nice to see you!" Yami waves. "No, we're not bothering her. Right?"

He gives me a pointed look, and a nod quickly. "No, they really aren't, I'm glad they came."

Doctor Owen sighs heavily. "Well, in any case, I need to check up on her, so you two better leave."

William and Yami say goodbye and walk off out of sight dejectedly, leaving me alone with the doctor. He smiles warmly at me. "So? Does it hurt anywhere still?"

"Only my shoulders. They're just sore, and the bath helped a lot," I tell him. Owen gives a curt nod. "Alright. _Water Recovery Magic."_

I marvel at the beautiful jellyfish that appear in the air around me, some of their tentacles coming down to massage my shoulders. The pain dissipates immediately, replaced by a pleasant sensation. "That's amazing!"

"I know right?" He gives me a crooked smile. "I'm lucky to have such powerful healing magic... I can help a lot of people that way." He pulls out a thermometer. "Open up."

I do as he says, and Owen stares at the temperature once he's done. "Hmm." His grey eyebrows tilt downwards. "You're still a bit cold... usually flame users run hotter than most people." He sighs and pockets the instrument. "We're going to keep you here for another night. I'll have someone bring in more blankets to warm you up."

Now that he mentions it, I've been chilly ever since Julius left. "Right... that's fine. I just hope my Captain doesn't get mad at me!"

"If he does, he'll have _me_ to answer to!" Owen replies sternly. "A magic knight can't fight if she's not in the best shape. Don't worry about it." He stands up again, preparing to leave. "Anything else I should know?"

I think about it for a moment. "Yeah... maybe. I keep getting nosebleeds. I had one last night and then another one when I woke up."

"Hmm..." Owen rubs his chin. "That's a bit strange... but there's not much I can do about it. Maybe you're just dried up a little." He sighs. "Call me if you need anything else, I'll be around the tower. Oh..." He stops before he's out the door. "The other knight who was involved in all this, Horatio Chessman from the Silver Eagles? He woke up, and said he wants to talk to you."

My eyes widen a bit. Horatio? He wants to talk to me? In any case, I'm glad he's awake. _I wonder what he wants to say to me._ "Okay... I'll come find him later," I tell Owen. "Thanks for everything."

The hours go by, and I stay curled up under the blankets, shivering every now and then. I wonder if these chills and the nosebleeds have anything to do with what happened yesterday. Just thinking about that spell makes me want to cry at this point. _I have to be strong... next time I use it, Julius will be with me. I want to show him that I can handle this new power just fine!_ Julius doesn't appear the entire time I lay there, and I eventually become restless. _Look at me... this is pathetic._ Despite being alone, I cover my red face with my hands. _We kiss a few times, and now that's all I want to do! Julius come back soon!_ Admittedly, there's other things that I want to do with him... but the thought is so embarrassing that I banish it from my mind.

At about 10:30am, I decide to go visit Horatio. Luckily the medical tower isn't as labyrinthine as the castle, so I eventually stumble upon his room. The door is cracked open a bit, and I have the presence of mind to peer in first before just barging inside. I see Horatio sitting up in bed, bandages wrapped around his curly head of hair. His eyes are cast down at his lap as he listens to the man in front of him speak. Adjusting my angle, I gasp. It's two Silver Eagles, but not just any: It's captain Silva and his son, Nozel. Captain Silva is the one doing the talking.

"I don't know what else to say, Chessman. Even with your Grimoire, your magic is nowhere near what we need it to be."

Horatio grits his teeth. "Captain, my strength will return, it's only been-"

"That's not what the doctor told me," Silva cuts him off with a sharp voice. "Your magic has weakened immensely. Someone like you has no place among the Silver Eagles."

I can hardly believe what I'm hearing. _Is Horatio... being kicked out?! Just because he was injured?_ It all seems so horribly unfair, and I clench my fist so hard that it hurts. _After all this time... this wasn't how I wanted it to end._

"I won't take no for an answer. We'll pay you another month's salary for your trouble."

Horatio opens his mouth to protest, his eyes flashing with anger... but he can't bring himself to object. "...I'm sorry, sir."

 _He's sorry? Silva should be the one apologizing here!_ I clench my jaw and stand back from the door, hiding behind the corner as Nozel and his father exit the room and walk out of sight. Once they're gone, I finally move to the door, hesitating for just a moment before walking inside.

Horatio only glances up at me momentarily, his face wrinkling in shame when he sees the look in my eyes, revealing that I had overheard that last conversation. I'm not sure what I, the person he tormented for so many years, could possibly say to make him feel any better. 

"... that's not right."

He stays silent for a moment, then lets a sigh through his nose. "He's right, though," he replies, his voice soft, the opposite of the grating way he would speak to me before. "You need magical power to be a magic knight. I can't be that person anymore."

He's spewing out everything the others told him, that he wasn't enough, that he would just weigh them down. _I used to think those things about myself... I don't want him to despair like I did back then,_

"People can get stronger. I did," I remind him. "If I can do it... then you definitely can, Horatio. I know it."

He blinks slowly before looking up at me. Then, he smiles. "I'm glad... you became stronger," Horatio says, his voice genuine for once in his life. "I heard about what you did yesterday... I would have died if you gave up. So..." His face reddens and he looks away. "Thank you."

The admission is shocking, coming from his lips. _So... he has grown, after all._ I can't help but smile back at him as he meets my eyes again. "Look at that, Horatio Chessman, telling _me,_ candlestick, thank you!" He laughs along with me as I sit down on the edge of his bed. "My life is complete!"

"Come on," he teases before his expression falters. "I really am sorry about back then... I was a little shit, I know that now. I didn't realize it until we fought together, and I saw how far you had come. I thought maybe... maybe we could be rivals again." He laughs at his own idea. "Not that you would want to be rivals with a weakling like me."

"You really thought that?" For some reason, I'm touched, remembering what Fuegoleon told me about Nozel and him. 

Horatio nods. "Yeah... since the very beginning, I thought that. You remember what you told me, long ago, right?" He closes his eyes at the memory. "I was too stunned to do anything but react violently, but I didn't forget."

"... wait..." I try my hardest to remember all those years ago. _We spent a lot of time together in school... I try to forget those days, but what did I tell him back then?_

All at once, I remember.

_The staff comes crashing down on me, but I manage to grab it in my hand. With a yank, Horatio goes flying, letting out a scream of surprise at my sudden strength. He rolls on the ground, skidding to a stop. With a groan, he sits up to see me pointing the stick right at his face. His cruel eyes narrow. "...what are you doing, Candlestick? You think you can defy me?"_

_"You're getting a little too into this, Horatio," I warn. The other kids stand back, afraid of what's about to happen. "And besides... you'll never be the Wizard King!"_

_"Huh?" Horatio grits his teeth and tries to stand up, but he twisted his ankle in the fall. "What makes you so sure?"_

_I don't know why... but my heart is pounding._

_"Because..._

That little girl, that _weak_ little girl, so long ago, had the courage to say _that?_ Maybe I said it out of spite, or hatred, or maybe I really did mean it. That long forgotten goal that I can't bring myself to hold any longer. But still...

 _"Because_ I _will become the Wizard King!"_

"You _do_ remember, right?"

I blink and look back up at him, my eyes a little glassy.

"...Of course I remember."

We talk about the good old days for a little while longer before I bid him farewell and return to my room. _I can't believe he has to go home... but I hope he can hold onto the hope that he will return._ I smile to myself as I open my door. _Maybe I should start writing letters to him, like Lyra. Someone has to encourage him!_

To my surprise, there's two people already in my room, two familiar redheads. "Fuegoleon? And- Captain!" My eyes widen as the two men turn to face me. Fernan smiles widely. "Look at you! Running around the tower already. You've recovered, I take it?"

"Yeah... I get discharged tomorrow." I quickly bow my head. "I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused! I promise I'll work harder-"

Fuegoleon promptly karate-chops me in the head. "ENough! You don't have to apologize!" I straighten up, rubbing my head. He seems almost upset. "Seriously, we were all so worried about you..." A look of relief comes into his eyes. "In any case, I'm glad to see you walking around." To my surprise, he suddenly steps in for a stiff hug. He's definitely _not_ the hugging type, so the situation is awkward for everyone.

Fernanleon glances between the two of us and clears his throat. "Sorry to dampen the mood, but we don't have much time."

Fuegoleon steps back to look at my confused face, answering before I can even ask anything. "We heard that the King is sending people to come get you and bring them to him. We don't know why, but word is that he's angry for some reason." My heart starts pounding, remembering what Yami told me about the rumors going around. _Does the King actually believe them? Am I about to be executed or something?!_ "So, we came to get you instead. We'll go with you."

I can't help but gasp. "Y-you don't have to! I'm sure it'll be fine if I explain everything, we don't know that this is a bad thing, anyway!"

"Nonsense! Of course we're going with you!" Fernan scolded. "Augustus is a royal like me, so he'll listen to you more if I'm there. You're right, we don't know what this is about, but we don't want to take any chances." He claps me on the back. "Fuegoleon brought some clothes, get dressed and we'll get going."

Finally, I nod. "Yes, sir!"

Surprisingly, Fuegoleon has a good fashion sense and brought clothes that matched, but were a little fancier than what I usually wear. _Well, I_ am _seeing the king, after all. He just thought ahead._ I pull on the clothes and a clean cloak, smoothing down my hair one last time before heading outside again. 

The three of us start walking towards the entrance to the castle, and I start to get really worried. Yami told me about the rumors going around, chiefly one that claimed that I was the actual assassin. I don't know exactly what went down after I passed out, but there's literally no case against me, especially if Marx was able to read the real assassin's memories. The sun is up as noon approaches, but I hug my arms a little as another chill goes through my body. _Maybe I'll just light myself on fire later. That should warm me up. Or I can get Julius to come warm me up..._

My thoughts are interrupted as we're suddenly surrounded by a group of blue-cloaked royal guards. "We were just looking for you," one of them "greets" me. "Come with us. The King seeks your audience."

Fernanleon steps in front of me. "We'll be the ones taking her there," he warns. "Is that a problem?"

"Frankly, yes," the guard states. "We were told to only bring her. We'll send you a communication later."

Fuegoleon scowls and opens his mouth to object, but I tug on his sleeve. "It's alright," I assure him. "I'm fine going alone." I muster up a reassuring smile even though I'm shaking in my boots with fear. 

"... if you're sure." Fuegoleon steps back, both he and the Captain still looking worried. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"For sure!"

With that, I turn and let the guards escort me through the castle gates, leaving the familiar faces behind. 

_What on Earth is about to happen here?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time... chapter 22: the court of the king. Our heroine is ordered to come before the King. Will she have to face him alone? Why is he so mad all the sudden? How is Marx going to handle BOTH Julius and MC? Find out next time!


	22. the court of the king

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. So, this chapter is mostly sweet but has some spicy stuff as well ;) Not too spicy though don't worry. 
> 
> 2\. The first Star Festival is coming! I wanted to take this opportunity to get some ideas from YOU guys: What kind of stuff would you like to happen? Any kind of conflict? Interaction? It's up to you!

Now that Fuegoleon and his father are gone, the realization suddenly hits me that I'm definitely _not_ okay going alone. Me, facing the _King,_ who may or may not be mad at me? By _myself?!_ I should have convinced Fuegoleon to help me escape! What was I thinking? _Calm down. They have no proof that you're an assassin. Julius can vouch for me, the King will definitely listen to him, right?_ The thought occurs to me that Julius might not even be aware of this situation, because he definitely would have warned me about it before hand. It's starting to become more and more obvious that no one is going to be able to save me. I want to ask the guards why I'm being brought here, but I can't muster the courage to do so. I just stare at the ground and listen to my footsteps on the cold stone floor. 

"Here. Wait in here until we come get you." I'm lead inside a nice sitting room with a large window. At least it's not a dungeon! I turn to say thank you, but the guards are already gone. With a sigh, I turn and flop down onto one of the large chaise loungers they have in here. Is this where I have to meet the king? It seems rather casual, but what do I know? The air is filled with tension, even though I'm the only one here. A large grandfather clock towers in the corner, the pendulum making an ominous _clack_ sound every time it swings back and forth. _What kind of fate awaits me today?_ I'm definitely overthinking this whole thing, getting paranoid over nothing, right?

Right?

The door suddenly swings open and I nearly jump out of my skin. Thinking it's the king, I spring to my feet and clench my fists at my sides. _Stay calm, stay calm, you're not in trouble-_

"Oh! How did you get in here?"

It's Julius, who looks pleasantly surprised to see me as he walks into the room. _Thank you! Thank you, God!_ I plead in my head, feeling all the tension in my body melt away at the sight of his easygoing smile. _Everything's alright now..._ I realize that I've been staring for maybe a second too long, causing Julius to wave a hand in front of my face. "Hello? Anyone in there?"

I blink and shake my head, coming to my senses. "Hi!" I say breathlessly. "Boy, I'm glad to see you!" There's nothing more I want to do than throw myself into his arms, but I manage to restrain myself as a confused look comes across his face. "Some royal guards came and took me here, apparently the King wants to see me! I have no idea why." I wring my hands nervously. "Am I in trouble? What's going on?"

His brow furrows the longer I talk, his lavender eyes flashing with concern. "...Hmm... that's strange. I'm surprised he didn't alert me, first." His gaze doesn't soften, which starts to make me worried. Julius sees my expression start to pale and quickly backtracks. "But! It's probably something good! You did a great deed yesterday, after all. And anyway, he called to meet with me as well, so we'll be together." He reaches out and takes my hand gently. The gesture, although small, manages to melt away my fear. "He'll listen to me, don't worry about defending yourself. I'll take care of it."

Slowly, I nod, letting myself smile and let out a shaky breath. "Yeah... okay. I'm sure it'll be fine if you're with me."

Julius lets out a soft hum of laughter through his smile, leaning in briefly to press his lips against my forehead. He pulls back and chuckles at my surprised expression. "Hmm? Something wrong?"

My cheeks are suddenly hotter than Hades. "Ah! No, nothing's wrong." I laugh nervously and avert my eyes. "I'm still just getting used to... all this." _Eek! Julius is holding my hand! He kissed my forehead! He's so hot! What am I supposed to do with myself?! And he's being so protective, too, "I'll take care of it" ?! Gah!_

"Well, there's a lot more coming." He winks at me quickly. "You look very nice today, by the way."

Suddenly, the door swings open and Julius turns around, his hand slipping out of mine. "Wizard King? The King is ready to see the two of you now."

"Alright. Lead the way!" Julius and I exchange a quick glance before following the guard out of the room.

We're taken to the largest dining room I've ever seen. It's way larger than the mess hall back at Headquarters, which was made to hold almost a hundred people, but this room seems to only cater towards one man: the King of the Clover Kingdom.

"Julius! Took you long enough. Come, sit down. We have a lot to discuss."

He's shorter and fatter than I imagined. I saw him from afar when I was on top of the tower yesterday, and I wish I never got this detailed view. Augustus is lounging in his chair at the head of a very long table, one leg draped over the cushioned arm. There's a gigantic spread of food in front of him: Lobster, Chicken, Pork, and plenty of things that I don't recognize. Flasks of drink line the perimeter. This is much more food than one man could possibly eat, even one as fat as the King. Two beautiful girls who can't be any older than I am flank him on each side. One of them is tucking a napkin into his collar. It's so... disgusting. I almost want to look away.

Julius and I quietly take our seats, sitting next to the King on the right side of him. Luckily, Julius sits between me and him, like a shield. The King's eyes linger on me before moving elsewhere. "Please, help yourself to this food."

I'm not hungry in the slightest, and shake my head at Julius, who turns back to the king with a good-natured expression. _God! How does he manage to be so pleasant to everyone?_ "Thanks for the offer, your majesty, but neither of us are quite ready for lunch."

"Breakfast!" Augustus corrects. "Have some wine then!" He snaps his fingers, and one of the girls pours two glasses of dark red wine for us. Julius doesn't touch his, but I immediately start sipping, hoping it will calm my nerves. With a content sigh, the King opens his mouth and the girl holds a fork full of food up to it. He eagerly chomps down and chews loudly. _Ah! He can't even be bothered to feed himself! Pathetic!_ For some reason, seeing him as he truly was, an oaf, is not making me feel any better.

"So, Julius, do you and your little friend know why I've called you here today?" His lips smack wetly as he speaks.

"Let's see..." Julius taps his fingers on his chin briefly. It's almost funny. "Of course, you want us to explain the disturbance at the speech yesterday, correct?"

"Precisely." Augustus sniffs. "Now's your chance."

Julius starts from the beginning, expressing everything far better than I could manage right now. He explains what Marx found in their memories. Apparently anti-monarch organizations were pretty common in the capital, so the motive made sense. "...and then, she caught my attention with a quick spell, giving me the warning I needed to act," Julius finally finishes. "You saw the rest yourself."

"Hmmm." Augustus picks at his teeth with a shard of a chicken bone. "So, you and her were the only two who really fought these two assassins, correct?"

"Correct." My grip tightens slightly on the stem of my glass as I listen to the conversation, my heart still pounding. _Stay calm... things are going to get better now that he knows the-_

"What a _convenient_ situation!" Augustus suddenly chortles, but his voice is devoid of mirth. "I _almost_ believe it!"

Julius frowns. "What do you mean? That's what happened."

"Sure, sure, but bear with me." Augustus grins as if he's caught us red handed. "Here's what _I,_ in all my infinite wisdom, suspect. This attempt on my life was so poorly-planned, that there can only be one explanation: these assassins were ordered on short notice to show up, where they were promptly dealt with by only two defenders. _Defenders..._ There were plenty of guards everywhere at that event, yet only two people got to take the glory, eh?" My eyes widen at the accusation. _Wait... is he trying to say- i_

 _"_ If you're trying to suggest that this was a setup, I'd like you to think about it a bit more." Julius somehow manages to maintain his calm, collected composure when confronted with so much ignorance. "You saw how injured she was when it was over... do you think I would put someone in that much danger just to gain a little traction?" As he speaks, I suddenly feel pressure on my knee. I don't have to look down to know that it's his hand, squeezing slightly as he talks. _He's angry... he's keeping it together, though._ I remembered what he said last night, about how sorry he was that I had to go through all that pain. _And now, Augustus is suggesting that it was all Julius's idea... is he_ that _insecure about his reputation?_ It was true, Julius was way more popular than the King within just the first few months, but Augustus didn't have to compete for his position at all. There was no merit whatsoever involved.

However, Augustus seems determined to drive Julius over the edge. "I've seen plenty of people walk over others to achieve greatness. And even more people willing to be walked _over_ because of the promise to share in that greatness. Isn't that right?" I realize that he's staring at me now. I open my mouth, not really knowing what to say, but he doesn't even let me respond. "Tell me... what did Julius promise you? Wealth? Rank? Or maybe even-"

"That's enough!" Julius's voice wavers a little as he draws the King's attention away from me. I'm like a deer in the headlights at this point. I've never been in a situation quite like this before. First of all, being here in the same room as _both_ the King and the Wizard King, and second of all, practically being interrogated. "She put her life on the line to stop those assassins. You should at least be grateful for what she-"

"Don't talk down to me, Julius!" Augustus's composure snaps and the room suddenly fills with some ominous presence. I'm not sure if it's his or Julius's. I can't do anything but sit there, dumbfounded, and he continues. "I see right through you... from the moment you were appointed Wizard King, you've been trying to undermine my authority, working towards your own goals, huh? Maybe your power equals mine in times of war... but may I remind you that we're NOT at war today!" He sneers at the two of us, overly gleeful, as if he's been waiting for this day for months. "I won't let _anyone_ question me... I am KING! Don't you dare forget that! Maybe I can't punish you... but I can do whatever I want with her!" I points at me accusingly, causing my stomach to turn. _Oh no... I'm in danger!_

"Your majesty, if you would just listen to anything I just said-"

"You can't make me!"

"But-"

Julius cuts himself off as I suddenly stand up, looking at me with shock. I don't really know what I'm going to do, but I'm about to do it anyway. With two quick strides, I'm standing beside Augustus's chair, and drop down to my knees. Summoning the most pitiful expression I can, I clasp my hands together as if I'm praying. "Your Majesty-" Augustus stares down at me, too shocked to say anything before I continue. "I beg you... please believe me!" I open my eyes, "tears" wavering in their corners. "Everything I've done so far, I've done for you! I pledged myself to the Magic Knights to serve this country and the crown. Please let me continue doing so!"

Julius stares at me and finally closes his mouth, pursing his lips together.

My voice sounds like it's going to break. "Yesterday, as I climbed that tower to take on the assassin... all I saw was your smiling face! I knew they would take that away from me if I failed, so I did everything in my power to save you!"

Augustus continues to stare, his eyes softening a little bit.

"So please... accept my deepest apologies, my beloved king. I'm sorry for disrupting your speech! I understand if you have to punish me... I will take it with honor. But please, let me continue serving you as a magic knight. I love you and your family, your majesty!" I bow my head, staring at the ground, my heart practically beating into my throat. _Please... please buy it..._

Augustus is silent for a long time, mulling over my words. Finally, he lets out a wheezing sigh. "...of course I'm not going to punish you," he mutters, almost embarrassed. _Yes! He realized that he was in the wrong! It only took my dignity, but I did it!_ "Faithful knight... please rise."

I quickly do so, straightening up and stepping back from the man. Julius doesn't say a single word, staring down at the place mat in front of him with an unreadable expression on his face. "...Julius?" He looks up as the King says his name. "Just... give her a promotion. And maybe some stars. I never want to hear about this ordeal ever again."

 _A promotion?_ The King catches sight of my shocked expression. "You saved the lives of both the Wizard King _and_ the King after all," he says, smiling up at who he believes is his most devout follower. "What's your current rank?"

"Junior Knight, 5th class."

"That won't do! Julius, how many of those star things do you think equates to Intermediate Knight 3rd class?"

Both Julius and I go pale. _What?! T-That's a crazy promotion!_ "Oh, uh... maybe thirty? It usually takes a long time to get that many, though-"

"Nonsense! It's decided then." The King claps his hands together, oddly ial compared to the tense moment shortly before. "You, my dear, will be awarded your new rank at the next distinguished service ceremony." I internally cringe at the use of _dear._ "Now..." He waves his hand. "Get out of my sight, both of you."

I almost want to protest, but we finally get our chance to escape and I'll be damned if we don't take it! Julius and I practically run out of the room and down the hall before stopping to take it all in.

"No no! I can't just get promoted like that!" I run my hands through my hair, tugging at it a bit out of stress. Julius hasn't said much since my "declaration of love" to the King, but I'm too wrapped up in my own emotions to consider the possibility that he's upset. I start pacing around in circles, glad that the hallway is deserted. "Ooh, what am I going to do? What am I supposed to tell Fuegoleon? I hate being the center of attention like this! Do I really deserve this?" I pause, thinking it through for like 2 seconds. "Okay, yeah, I _guess_ I _do_ deserve it and everything, but still-"

Julius suddenly lets out a snort of laughter. I freeze and look over at him, suddenly realizing that I had just gone on a rant in front of _the Wizard King._ But, he doesn't seem upset after all. His cryptic smile suddenly widens into a smirk. _Uh oh, I'm in danger!_ I open my mouth to ask what's so funny, but don't get the chance. His hands are immediately around my waist, swallowing my protest in a deep kiss. "!!" I squirm a bit in his grasp as he pushes me against the wall of the corridor. _What is he thinking?! We're in the middle of the castle!_

"You..." He pulls back just slightly to speak, his lips still brushing against mine. His eyes open and stare at me, pooled with some emotion I've never seen in them before. "...are a genius. That situation was about to get ugly... I wouldn't have thought of that." He starts peppering my entire face with kisses. I wasn't expecting this kind of affection so suddenly, but I'm not about to complain. 

"Sometimes, you need to use your feminine wiles to get out of a situation," I finally compose myself to answer. I don't really know what to do with my hands, so I just clutch the sleeve of his arms. He just chuckles against my skin, then dips his head down suddenly, his lips latching onto my neck. It tickles and I let out a quiet gasp. "Julius! W-we're in the middle of the hallway! Someone's going to see us!" My face looks like a tomato by now, my eyes darting around to all the possible places that someone might walk in on us from. 

"I know." He straightens up again to look at my face as I struggle to form words. _This man... he has no shame!_ I'll be honest, though... I like this side of him, I just didn't expect it to show up so soon. "Do you want me to stop?"

After a moment of contemplation, I shake my head.

"Good answer."

His lips are immediately on mine again, tongue darting inside before I have time to react. I let my eyes close this time, and I feel his hand slide down my leg. Fuegoleon, through some strange fate, brought a skirt for me to wear today, which ended up being both a blessing and a curse. Julius presses into me, closer and closer, almost impossibly close- _Ow! Wait... oh god, was that-_

"aHEM!"

Someone clears their throat loudly, grabbing our attentions and pulling us out of our foggy infatuation. I look over Julius's shoulder and am somehow not surprised to see that it's Marx, who had just walked around the corner. I probably have steam coming out of my ears right now. _Ah! Somehow I knew thi_ _s would happen!_ Julius releases me and turns around, waving calmly at Marx. "Oh, hello, Marx! We were just looking for you!" I'm a bit aghast at how composed he is right now, not frazzled in the slightest. He even looks a bit smug. On the other hand, I have to lean against the wall to steady myself, my legs and hands shaking like autumn leaves. _That was... so hot! He really has it all, doesn't he?_

Out of the three of us, Marx is definitely the most mortified. "Yes, I'm _sure_ that's what you were doing!" He sighs and wipes a few beads of sweat off his forehead. "I'm happy for you two... but frankly I don't want to see- well-" He grimaces and squeezes his eyes shut. "ANYway, I'll forget I saw anything."

He nearly jumps out of his skin when Julius suddenly appears in front of him, laughing heartily and slapping him on the shoulder amicably. "Good, good! Now-" His smile fades the slightest bit. "Let me guess... reports? Meetings? Etc?"

Marx scowls a bit. "Yes... there's plenty to do, as always, since you keep putting it all off. No time to waste!"

"Alright, alright! But first-" Julius turns back towards me. "I need to take you back to the medical tower, right?" I nod quickly in response. "I'll be back shortly, Marx!"

"You better be!" Marx looks at me and his eyes soften. "That being said... I'm glad to see you out and about. I saw you after the fight..." His voice trails off slightly at the memory before shaking his head. "Anyway, things should get better from here... for all of us." He offers me a genuine smile for once. I remember what he told me before, just a couple days ago... _"It's a lonely job, you know. It does him good to have someone to spend time with."_

"Thank you, Marx, that means a lot."

_He acts all tough... but deep down, he's loyal to Julius above all else._

With that, we turn and walk out of sight, leaving Marx alone. He lets out a heavy sigh, rubbing his face. "Dear god... I love them, but this is definitely going to kill me."

"Hey, so, what exactly is the Distinguished Service Ceremony?" I ask Julius as we (intentionally) slowly make our way to the castle gate. The King mentioned it before when he talked about my promotion. 

"It's just a small ceremony where we honor the most high-achieving knights. We aren't having another on until the day of the Star Festival," he tells me. "You'll officially get your new rank then. Oh!" His eyes brighten. "You just earned 30 stars, too... I'll have to add that in to the competition!"

"Ooh!" That catches my interest. "Who's winning?"

Julius pauses to raise a quizzical eyebrow. "...that would be cheating," he slowly responds, a twinkle in his eye.

"Aw-" I bat my eyelashes a bit to feign innocence. "Are you sure?"

"... we'll see."

 _Two months..._ My face falls a bit at the thought. "So... I probably won't see you until the Star Festival then?" At least, not a lot. It's really only been a day since our feelings for each other were revealed, but we haven't been able to get off of each other since. My only consolation is that Julius is probably way more clingy than I am.

"Of course not!" I look back up at him, his gaze shining down upon me. "You think I could go that long? No way!" His eyes glint mischievously. "I'm going to appear outside your window when you least expect it."

"No way! I have a roommate, you know!"

"So?"

I can't help but laugh at that. _We need to be careful, I don't want to repeat the "Fuegoleon" incident!_

Julius reaches out and takes my hand, weaving his fingers with mine. I'm almost taken aback by the sweet gesture, even though he's been like this all day. His soft touches, his calming presence... but most of all, the way he looks at me, with genuine interest and deep admiration... no one has ever looked at me like that before. 

"I hope I can make you understand... just how _lucky_ I feel right now."

He gives my hand one last squeeze before pulling me against his side and continuing out to the gate. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time... Chapter 23: the calm before the festival. The next two months are fairly uneventful, but complications always arise when least expected! And- Julius?! Why are you here? Find out next time!


	23. the calm before the festival (**)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I love Julius but he's such a crackhead lmao
> 
> 2\. Okay so out of consideration for my readers, I've developed a rating system to warn about adult content in each chapter. I'll be putting an asterisk in the chapter title that has content like that, and the number of asterisks shows the seriousness.  
> * = mild  
> ** = moderate  
> *** = explicit  
> Explicit chapters will be stand alone and won't have anything important plot-wise, so you can skip it if you wish!

_Dear Lyra,_

_Sorry for not writing for a few days! Some crazy stuff happened to me. I was stationed at the King's Birthday festival and stumbled upon a plot to assassinate both him and the Wizard King. I managed to stop them, but got very injured in the process. Don't worry, I'm fine now! They took very good care of me. Julius was very grateful for everything, and so was the King._

I decided to leave it at that for now.

_Anyway, there is a festival coming up in two months, the Star Festival! I am being promoted on that day, so I would be really happy if you and the rest came up to visit me. I already talked about it with my Captain, he says it would be fine! The festival that night is free to enter, and I bet the kids will love it! If you don't have the time, don't worry about it... I just miss you._

_Take care._

Lyra's reply came a few days later.

 _You're kidding!! You saved_ both _the king and the wizard king? That's amazing! I told everyone about your promotion and they are all so proud. Thanks for telling us about the festival, we'll all try to come! Your mother said she would stay behind and take care of the Tavern while we're gone._

_I can't wait to see you, we've all missed you so much, but it helps to hear about your accomplishments._

_Love, Lyra_

_P.S. Since when are you on a first name basis with the Wizard King?! You have some explaining to do._

* * *

The next two months pass by without much trouble. After everything I had to go through recently, it's nice to have things go back to normal. Well, almost back to normal. I told Fuegoleon and Captain Fernan about my promotion. Fernan laughed and exclaimed something along the lines of "Take that, Silva! 30 stars!" while he shook me by the shoulders violently. "We're on our way to beating them this year! Bless the power of merit!" Fuegoleon was more shocked, almost aghast. However, it didn't take him long to congratulate me as well. "I always knew you would turn out to be a great knight... you're proving that I was correct."

For some reasons, his words stick with me even as the others on the squad find out and shower me with various praises. _You're proving that I was correct._ I come to realize that I'm not only proving _him_ correct, but I'm also proving myself correct. There are still times when I feel guilty about leaving my mother behind when she arguably needed me most, but the call to do something greater was just too strong. And now... here I was, getting promoted, acknowledged by my Captain and even the Wizard King. Slowly but surely, I was unlocking the secret of my past.

_Yes... I was right. This is where I'm supposed to be._

That didn't mean that my life became any easier, obviously. I still hadn't attempted to use my new spell again, and the mark on my head remained dormant as I went about my everyday life. Alana brought up the whole affair almost every time I ran into her. It was nice to have someone look up to me, but being the center of attention is far outside my comfort zone. Nowadays, it was almost unavoidable, but people stopped talking about it so much after about a week, to my relief. 

Of course, I'm now attempting to juggle two monumental tasks: maintain my job as a magic knight by going on missions and working, and do the best I can to keep up with Julius. Both of those things would be easy to do alone, but together? Imagine getting home from a long, sweaty mission to find a letter in your room that only reads " _I'm coming to get you tonight! xoxo"_ Alright, maybe it's not that bad... but it's still a lot to keep up with! I finally convinced him that he can't just show up anymore, since I have a job and a roommate to keep track of, so he always sends a letter ahead of time before showing up late at night and taking me somewhere. Most of our dates consist of us landing somewhere up high and just talking as we watch the night sky. Recently, he started bringing food and drinks, which I am very much in favor of. _"Look, I know you're more of a beer lover, but I found this ancient wine down in the cellar. Only Kings are allowed to drink it but what he doesn't know won't hurt him, right? Hehe!"_ On my days off, I go visit him in the castle. He gave me the grand tour of all his favorite spots to hide from Marx. We usually end up making out somewhere until Marx inevitably shows up to drag Julius away by the ear. Poor Marx!

Sometimes I worry that my presence is just a distraction, but Marx ended up approaching me recently to explain his view on the whole thing. _"Believe it or not, he's actually working harder when you're not around so he has time to come visit you. Not hard enough to get ahead of his work, but it's an improvement!"_ That's Marx's strange way of saying "thank you," I think.

At the end of the two months, the Star Festival is right around the corner. Everyone in the squad is working as hard as they can, me included. Today, I had a particularly rough mission to complete with Fuegoleon. We were sent to a swamp in a strong magic region, where a rouge witch had been cursing travelers that went through the area, turning them into frogs and imprisoning them. It was hot, muggy, and full of mosquitoes, so we were already suffering before we even got to the witch. Luckily for me, the spell only seemed to work on men, so taking her out was fairly easy. Unfortunately for Fuegoleon, he was hit by that spell directly. I took a moment to laugh at Frog-oleon before I fully knocked out the witch and released the curse. 

So, we were back at the base now, covered with mud and sweat. The upside is that tonight is payday, and I get to go see Yami and William tonight. 

"Since the festival is in three days, today's the first payday with your new salary," Fernanleon tells me when it's my turn, handing me a much heavier bag of money than I'm used to. "Don't worry about your chores tonight, enjoy yourself!"

My eyes light up. "Thank you, captain!"

I run off and quickly separate the money into two piles: one for myself, and one to send back to Lyra and the others. Now that there's so much I can definitely start sharing!

After sending that off, I treat myself to a nice, long bath, scrubbing off all of the mud and slime from the swamp and massaging some flowery-scented soap through my hair. _With this money, I can treat myself to something soon! Julius is always bringing me stuff, maybe I could get something for him? No, what am I thinking! He' the Wizard King, so he probably doesn't need anything!_ Whenever Julius showed up to see me, he usually had a bouquet of flowers or something to give me. It was a bit embarrassing, but he insisted. _"It's been a long time since I could spoil someone like this!"_ One time, he brought me an interesting magical item than ended up being cursed, so we dug a hole in the middle of the woods and buried it there to be forgotten. 

After my bath, I get dressed in some comfortable clothes before heading to the mirror to brush my hair. I wipe the mist off the glass and look into my reflection, which catches me off guard. _Damn it! Not again!_ Blood was leaking out of my nose, something that had become a common occurrence lately. I quickly grab a towel and wipe off my face until all trace of red is gone. I don't know why this symptom hasn't gone away yet, but it isn't painful so I don't think much of it. I sigh and stretch my arms, wincing a bit. _That mission left me so sore!_

I finally make my way down the hall, planning to go rest in my room until it's time to go meet Yami and William for dinner. _I need to go find something nice to wear for the ceremony, my usual clothes aren't going to cut it. That would be a good investment._

"Excuse me?"

I hear someone say my name and look up to see Fuegoleon standing there. He must have taken a bath as well, because he's no longer covered with mud. "Oh! Yeah?" I pause in the hallway and offer him a smile.

Fuegoleon looks almost... uncomfortable? His eyes keep darting around the hallway, as if he's afraid to be seen, his fists clenched at his sides. "Do you have a moment? There's something I want to discuss with you."

 _Uh oh, am I in trouble?_ I gulp nervously but nod anyway. "Sure, what is it?"

"... can we go somewhere more private?"

This is strange, Fuegoleon usually just blurts things out, so this must be something extremely sensitive. I agree and lead him up to my room. Alana hasn't been around all afternoon so I'm not surprised when the room is empty. I snap my fingers to light the oil lamp on my desk before turning back to face him, feeling a bit apprehensive. "Here we are... what's wrong?"

"Well... nothing's _wrong_ you see..." He avoids my eyes, a bead of sweat rolling down his face. "Um... how are you feeling after your mission?" 

_It's not like him to make small talk... did something happen to his brain after getting turned into a frog?!_ "Pretty good... just kind of tired and sore, as you could imagine."

A flash of concern goes through his eyes. "Sore? Is it bad?"

I wave my hand dismissively. _Can he just get to the point already?_ "No, not too bad, just annoying. Mostly just my shoulders and lower back." I rub my shoulder to illustrate my point. "Don't worry about me! Now, why-"

"Would you like a massage?"

I freeze mid-sentence, my brain completely turning off for a good four seconds. When it turns back on, everything hit me at once. 

_... did FUEGOLEON Vermillion just make a PASS at me?!?!_

It's inconceivable. Impossible. Yet, he just did it. I gape up at him, trying to form a coherent sentence as he continues to just stare down at me blankly. _Where the Hell did that come from? Does he actually have feelings for me- oh god, I need to reject him now, this is so awkward!_

I finally manage to string some words together. "Uh. NO! I mean, well, I appreciate it but respectfully decline." I quickly turn away to avoid his stare and disappointment. "So... if that's all you came here to do, you can go now." I squeeze my eyes shut, hoping he just apologizes and leaves instead of pursuing the matter. There's no telling what lead up to this moment, but my heart is pounding. _I just rejected him! He's become a close comrade, and maybe even a friend, and I don't want this to ruin that! God, I'm sorry-_

"What about now?"

His voice... it completely changed. 

Slowly, I open my eyes and turn back around to find none other than Julius standing in my room, dressed very casually with a shit-eating grin on his face. Shock wracks my entire body. "You- you asshole!" I exclaim, taking a step back. Secretly, I'm relieved that this was all a guise, and happy to see him here. But still! "Don't scare me like that! Hey!" Julius laughs and advances towards me, pulling me into his chest in a tight hug. I'm not going to go down that easy, so I struggle futily within his grasp. "Julius! You can't just do that! Was that supposed to be some sort of test?!" 

"No, no test." He squeezes me a little, and I wince at the pain in my poor, sore shoulders. He sure can be a bit smothering at times... not that I mind. "I just thought it would be funny. And besides-" He loosens his grip to look down at my red face. "I like seeing you all flustered like this."

Julius leans down to plant a sweet kiss on my lips, and I decide that I can forgive him. I sigh a little through my nose, relaxing into his embrace. I really am happy to see him, just like all the other times he comes to visit. His mere presence is electrifying. Eventually, he pulls back and runs a hand over my hair. "Here, get on the bed. I'm giving you a massage."

I don't protest this time, settling in against his strong chest as he gets to work. His large hands go for my shoulder first, gently rubbing his fingers into the skin through my shirt. I instinctively tense up, as it hurts a little. "Relax," he whispers against my ear, causing a shiver to move through my body, but I manage to do as he says. After a minute or so, it starts to feel pretty good. "I was wandering around in disguise, looking for magic, and I happened to be in the area," Julius explains as he works, his voice soft and low. "I heard about the witch you fought. Transformation curse magic, wow!" I can't see his face, but I just _know_ that he's got those adorable stars in his eyes. "And it only works on men? That's not very fair."

I giggle at the memory. "Fuegoleon actually got turned into a frog! The witch didn't expect me to be so strong, we wasn't able to react quick enough."

"You're kidding! Fuegoleon, a frog? I wish I had seen that!"

"Me too, it was hilarious! I'm never going to let him forget about it."

"So, you ended up fighting her yourself? Look at you-" Without warning, he suddenly leans in and nuzzles my neck. It tickles and I squirm in protest. "What spell did you use?"

"Solar Bolt. It's not my most powerful spell, but it's definitely the most efficient."

"Oh! I remember that one." He straightens up and lets his hands slide down to my hips, his thumbs massaging into my lower back. I gulp nervously, becoming increasingly aware of how close we are to each other. "You really are impressive, you know that?"

"... thank you," I whisper, hardly able to contain my smile. Whenever he praises me like that, it gets me all riled up (in more ways than one). "That means a lot."

"You're welcome." Julius sighs and buries his face in the back of my hair, inhaling slightly. "...you smell really good."

"I just took a bath," I inform him, flattered that he thought so. I just bought new soap so I'm glad he liked it.

"Ah, I see." He pulls back, letting his lips drift against my ear again. "...I should have come a bit earlier then, I'm sorry I missed it."

"Huh? Oh-" If he came here to get me flustered, he's certainly succeeding. That last comment really got my heart pounding... but I'm not sure if it's just me being nervous. I'm definitely not used to _that_ kind of attention yet, but it seems like Julius is more than willing to provide it. Even so, I'm having trouble formulating a response. "..."

His movements stop as he picks up on my unease. "Sorry, was that too far?" he asks a bit awkwardly, concern in his voice. By now he's probably figured out my lack of experience, and as a result, has kept things fairly chaste between us. 

However, I quickly shake my head. "No, no, not at all! I-I'm just not used to hearing stuff like this..." I'm glad I'm facing away from him now, my face is probably flushed beyond belief. "... I guess I would like that." _Ah! Get a grip!_

Julius hums softly with laughter, pulling me out of my anxious mind. "You guess?" he teases. 

"... I _know."_

I feel his grip tighten slightly for a moment when I answer, causing my heart to jolt several times in my chest. Slowly, he leans back down to kiss my neck, his lips barely brushing my skin. I inadvertently hold my breath, trying to stay calm. His teasing is completely gone, replaced by a calm, deliberate demeanor. I wish that I could stay that composed. It wasn't that I didn't want to get more intimate with him... I was just nervous. 

When I was a young, curious kid, back before I realized that my mother hated me, I asked her where babies came from. Thinking back on it, maybe that wasn't the best question to ask a woman who was having fertility issues, but I didn't understand at the time. Most parents would just laugh the question off and answer something along the lines of "oh, they grow in the garden!" or "A big stork brings them to us!" My mother skipped all those explanations, and just straight up described the process in the most unpleasant way possible. _"It's not fun. Sex hurts. Giving birth hurts. It all hurts more than you could imagine, so you better be ready for it when you're older."_ That whole conversation traumatized me for a couple of years, understandably. Of course, Lyra ended up having to tell me that no, it's not supposed to hurt, and the joy of wanting to having a baby outweighed the pain pregnancy brought. However, it was hard to shake off that old fear.

Despite that, Julius somehow manages to instantly ease my nerves with only his lips and hands. I quickly forget the fact that we're in a shared, unlocked room and let my eyes close, leaning into his touch. _Hmm... this isn't so bad._ I feel his teeth graze over my skin before his lips latch onto the spot, causing a soft sound to escape my mouth. One of his hands leaves my hip to slide up my side, and I instinctively shy away from it without really meaning to. "Is this okay?" he asks quietly, pausing.

I quickly nod, willing myself to relax. He hums his approval before continuing, his hand sliding up to gently cup one of my breasts. He squeezes it once, hard enough to draw another sound from my lips, and i cam feel him smirk against my neck. "...perfect-" he murmurs, moving slightly to start sucking on a different spot. I arch my back slightly into his hand as he continues to fondle me, eventually sliding over to give the other one attention as well. "Do you like this?"

Without hesitation, I softly answer yes. I had no idea that such a simple touch could be so heavenly... I wanted more, I never wanted him to let go of me. 

His kisses start to get a bit rougher, and his hand gropes at me as if his life depends on it. He tugs me closer to him, back flush against his chest. I feel his free hand wrap around one of my wrists and gently yet firmly pull it behind my back. I'm about to ask what he's doing but I immediately get an answer. He drags my hand to the spot right between his legs, and I instantly feel something hard through the fabric of his pants.

"You feel that?" He mumbles, raising his head from my neck and pressing his cheek against mine. His skin is burning hot. I nod quickly, letting out a soft whimper when he tightens his grip on me. "Ah- Yes! I-I feel it."

He smiles a little, satisfied. "Good... that's how much I want you."

At this point, I'm basically both ready and fully willing to let him take me right then and there, how could I not be? But he continues to take it slow, kissing the area behind my ear softly and rubbing himself gently with my hand, letting out delicious-sounding moans from time to time. It's about to get too hot for me to handle, but we're rudely interrupted by a sudden rapping on the door, causing both of us to jump out of our skins. 

"Hello? Are you in there?"

Fuck! That's Fuegoleon! He's the last person I want to see right now, especially right at this moment. We aren't allowed to have visitors in our rooms, but _my_ visitor would cause a multitude of questions to come my way if discovered. I open my mouth to yell something like "Don't come in!" or "One second!" However, I'm cut off by Julius's hand over my mouth. _What the heck is he doing?!_ I start to panic and struggle, but his grasp tightens. Taking the hint, I lie still and wait. I'm sure Julius can feel my heart pumping through my shirt at this point. 

"Hello?"

We stay absolutely silent, not even daring to breathe. 

A moment later, we hear Fuegoleon's footsteps walk off out of earshot. Julius releases me, and I let out a shaky breath. "That was close!" I whisper, scowling a bit as I glance back at him. As much as I hate to admit it, he was right to stay silent. Fuegoleon would have been suspicious if I responded so hastily.

"Yeah... will he be back soon?"

"I'm not sure... I have the night off so he might wait until tomorrow." I remember Alana. "Here... I better lock the door, just in case." I try to slip off the bed to do so, but I'm stopped as Julius wraps his arms around me, trapping me against him. "Julius! What now?"

"Come on!" I look back to see him smiling that satisfied smile to himself. "It's more fun if we might get caught, hmm?" 

I open my mouth to protest, but he has a point. Something about doing this right under another person's nose... it was exciting. Julius chuckles as my straining dies down. "Now... where were we?"

Suddenly, I'm reminded that I'm supposed to be somewhere very soon by a sudden pang of hunger in my stomach. "Ah! I completely forgot! I'm supposed to have dinner with Yami and William tonight!" I turn around in his grasp to look at him apologetically. "I'm really sorry... but I can't just stand them up."

Julius pouts adorably for a moment before shaking off his disappointment. "I see... they replaced me with you, it seems, we used to do that all the time," he laughs, his grip loosening and his arms falling around my waste. "Good times... In that case, I guess I'll let you go." 

I roll my eyes at him but lean in to press a kiss against his lips, which he accepts eagerly. "You're a bit clingy, you know that?"

"Oh? Is that a bad thing?" He raises an eyebrow at me. 

I shake my head quickly. "No... it's cute. Don't stop, that's an order!"

"Yes Ma'am!" He presses his forehead against mine for a moment, closing his eyes briefly. Then, he pulls back, letting go of me. "I can take you there, if you want?"

"Really? Thank you!" It's better than riding a broom all the way there. "I need to change... can you wait outside the window?"

"I suppose." He turns around and starts to climb out. 

"No peeking!"

"No promises."

I quickly change clothes before crawling out to join him out of the roof. The sun has set now, only a faint orange glow visible in the west. Julius offers me his arm, which I gladly accept, and he pulls me against his side before zipping off into the night. I've gotten used to this form of travel now, but it always amazes me. He explained that he does it by accelerating time around his body, allowing him to move at instant speeds. 

We finally land near the bar where William and Yami and I meet. "Thank you!" I turn around to look up at him one last time. I feel a little bad for leaving him so suddenly, in such a heated moment... but I'm sure he can take care of it somehow. "I'll see you at the Star festival, then?"

"Of course." He reaches up to cup my face with his hands, which I appreciatively lean into. "Goodnight... enjoy yourself, my sweet."

 _My sweet._ I really like how that sounds. With one last kiss, he disappears into the night as quickly as he came. 

Both Yami and William stare at me intensely as we eat. I don't think much of it at first, but they become oddly quiet the more we drink. _Yami's usually pretty loud at this point..._ I sip my drink nervously. _And why are they staring at me? Is my nose bleeding again?_

William suddenly clears his throat. "So... did you go on a mission today?"

I perk up a bit. "Yeah! Fuegoleon and I had to go fight a witch in a swamp. She was turning people into frogs, and even Fuegoleon got turned into one!" 

Yami would usually laugh at that, but he just nods slowly, not taking his eyes off of me. I gulp, averting my eyes. 

William seems more engage. "Interesting, I never thought-"

"Did you get injured?" Yami suddenly blurts out. William closes his eyes and lets out an exasperated breath through his nose. Uh oh.

"Huh? No, just got sore," I explained, oblivious. "Why?"

Yami blinks once, then bursts into laughter. I stare at him, horrified. "Huh? What is it?"

He manages to compose himself and straightens up, a mischievous smile on his face. "So... you didn't get hit right here? You have a lot of bruises, ya know." He points at his neck. It takes me a moment to realize what he means. "Ah!" I slap my hands over the skin on my neck, attempting to hide the pink love marks that had appeared there without my knowledge. My cheeks feel like they're on fire. _Julius! You fiend!_

"Look at that! I knew I was right!"

Yami continues to chortle. William just scowls at him. "Yami, this is private. Leave her alone."

"So, who is it? You didn't tell us you got a boyfriend!" Yami scolds me. "Tell us!"

"Ah, no! T-t-that's none of your business!" I shoot back. "B-but it's d-definitely NOT Julius!" I curse myself the moment the words pass my lips. _Ah! Why would I say that?!?_

Yami pauses for a moment at the admission. "Wait, seriously?" I wonder if he approves for a moment, but he bursts out laughing again. "That's hilarious! Good for you!"

It seems like he's gotten over his past worries about the two of us. "Master Julius is a great man... I hope he makes you happy," William tells me, smiling a bit awkwardly. However, their reactions put me at ease. I just wish I could have told them in a less embarrassing way. "Thank you... I'm glad you approve."

Yami chuckles, having calmed down, and raises his drink. "Of course we approve. Here, let's toast!" He raises his voice. "To Julius Novachrono!"

He says it so loud that the rest of the bar hears him, but they all cheer, raising their own glasses. "To the Wizard King!"

 _Hmm... seems like I'm not the only one who likes him,_ I think to myself, raising my glass and letting myself smile widely. 

"To Julius!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time... Chapter 24: the star festival. The time has come for the Star festival, and the entire kingdom is celebrating! Time to relax, even if it's a short-lived peace.


	24. the star festival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Alright alright so this "fluff arc" that includes the festival is ending in 2/3 chapters, and there's an action arc right afterwards. The best of both worlds!
> 
> 2\. I'm trying to think of ways to sublty work in some cameos of the main cast of characters, like I did with Noelle before and Leo here. Open to suggestions!! (I DO have something planned with Asta/Yuno)
> 
> 3\. Also ngl I forgot how many stars are a lot so I kinda fudged that aspect of the ceremony lol

_Their eyes bored into my soul like two lasers made of sunlight. I couldn't move, couldn't blink, couldn't to anything except let them watch me._

_Who are you?_

_"I am your grandparents."_

_That doesn't make any sense, though. You're two people! Sure, you're holding hands, but that doesn't change the fact that you're individuals. Shouldn't be "We are your grandparents?"_

_"Wrong."_

_What do you mean, wrong? If you're here, give me answers! Who am I? Why do you appear in a book from 100 years ago? Are you ghosts? Is any of this real?_

_"...yes."_

_What?!?_

_The ground drops out beneath me._

_"If you attempt to dethrone me... you will die._ He _will kill you."_

_Who is he? "Me?" You're two people, dammit! Why does this matter so much? Why is this so scary? What does any of this mean?_

I inhale sharply through my nose as I'm ripped from my dream in a cold sweat. For a moment I just lay there, catching my breath and letting my racing heart slow down. The details of the dream are already fading away, everything except a growing sense of dread and fear that seemed to spill out into the real world. _I think it was those two ambassadors again... they said the same thing they said before, "I am your grandparents."_ _I didn't think it was bothering me so much to get made into a dream! I don't understand my own subconscious sometimes._ Light is already spilling in through the flimsy curtains by my bed. I'm not worried about being late, though, since I'm allowed to sleep in today, the day of the Star Festival.

However, I already know that I'm done sleeping, so I slip out of bed and put on my shoes so I can walk down the hall to the bathroom. _So much to do today... first the Distinguished Service Ceremony, then I have to meet up with Lyra and the others, then the actual festival, and then who knows what!_ Fuegoleon told me earlier that I could come with him to the captain's banquet that night if I wished, so I keep that option on the back-burner. There's always a chance that Julius will pop up with some impromptu idea, but he was in charge of the whole event today so that was unlikely. _I'm happy for him, though, he's been so excited for today._

Of course, what I'm most excited about, even above my promotion, is getting to see Lyra, Portia, and the kids again. My mother and Lyra's husband were staying home to take care of the baby and the tavern, but everyone else would be coming to visit. I couldn't wait to introduce them to everyone. Lyra was about six months pregnant now with her second child, so I'm sure she's going to look different, too! Overall, just thinking about it makes me forget my dream and put a smile on my face.

"Are you ready for today?" I look up to see Fuegoleon approaching me with two cups of coffee in his hands, a subdued smile on his face. I had just sat down to eat a late breakfast. The atmosphere around the base is very light, everyone anticipating the festival with excitement. 

I gladly accept the coffee and take a sip. "Yeah, I think so," I answer. "This isn't something I should be nervous about, right?"

He quickly shakes his head, sliding into the seat next to me. "No... it's an honor, something to be celebrated. You worked hard for this day, so you should definitely enjoy it."

"... right. I assume you're coming, too?" I nibble at the corner of my toast. My appetite has been really off lately, so just this little bit of bread is an ordeal for my stomach. 

Fuegoleon nods. "Yes. It'll be me, you, the Captain, and a few other older knights that have distinguished themselves over this oast year."

 _There could be some really important people there today,_ I think to myself. _All watching me... I don't know if they'll all be proud or not, some of those royals might look down on my status._

"BROTHER! BROTHER!" 

A small, rapidly-moving body comes out of nowhere and jumps onto Fuegoleon's back, making him spit out his coffee out of surprise. I look over to see a gleeful little boy with spiky red hair hanging around Fuegoleon's neck, laughing boisterously. "Got you! Got you!"

"Leo?! What on earth do you think you're doing?" Fuegoleon scolds, shaking the 8-year-old off of him. "We're trying to enjoy a quiet morning here." Some of the other knights sitting around us snicker behind their hands at the situation. 

Leo grins evilly to himself and takes a step back before noticing me. "Who's that? Your girlfriend?"

Fuegoleon lets out a stiff breath through his nose. "No, she's just a fellow magic knight," he tells the boy before looking at me. "Sorry about that... this brat is my little brother, Leopold Vermillion."

Leo climbs up onto the bench between us and starts rattling off a dizzying series of questions. "A magic knight? Cool! I'm going to be a magic knight, too! I'm going to be the wizard king! Just you wait! Do you know what the wizard king is? He's the strongest guy around! What about you? How many stars do you have? Are you going to eat that toast? Can I try on your cape? What's that funny thing on your face? Can I see your Grimoire? What kind of magic do you have? Watch this!!!" He holds out his hands and sends out a stream of fire, more powerful than most kids his age could produce. The flames burn my toast to a crisp. 

"Leopold! Get down!" Leo giggles and jumps off the bench and runs off as fast as he arrived. "My god... my mother is probably here talking to my father, and let him run loose," Fuegoleon groans, looking more weary than he ever has. "Sorry about your toast, that boy is too excitable for his own good."

"It's fine! He's so full of energy!" I say, laughing a little. I wasn't going to eat the toast anyway. "It's hard to believe that he's _your_ brother!" 

"He's more like my sister than anyone else. I would say that she's a bad influence, but she's not around enough to be one."

That catches my attention. "Mereoleona? She's not a magic knight, right?"

Fuegoleon shakes his head. "No. She spends 300 days a year wandering around in the wild. She doesn't really take anything too seriously." He frowns a bit. "How did you know her name?"

"... I met her a long time ago. She came through my town, when I was 11," I told him, reminiscing back to those days. "She was actually the first person who told me I should become a magic knight... even though my magic was really weak back then."

Fuegoleon nodded along with my story. "Interesting... I'll have to make sure that you two can meet again one day. She's not coming to the ceremony today, though."

I look up at him, a bit surprised at the considerate offer. I doubt she would remember me, but I would like to meet her again if only just to thank her for everything. "... I would appreciate that. Thanks, Fuegoleon."

He scratches his ear awkwardly at my words. "Also... if you're done eating, there's something I would like to give you."

I blink owlishly, surprised. "You got me a gift?"

"No! Well-" He clears his throat. "Just a token of my appreciation, from a senior to his junior." He quickly stands up and motions for me to follow him, which I do. We make it up to his room, and he pulls out a bundle of something. "A lot of us senior knights wear these to show our status... you've grown so much so quickly, so I think it suits you to have one as well."

I accept the bundle and carefully unravel it. Turns out, the bundle itself was the gift, a dark red cape that falls nearly to my ankles. "Wow... Fuegoleon..." I don't really know what to say. Yes, it's a very simple, almost innocuous gift... but it holds more meaning than a simple cape. It's a symbol of acknowledgement from my superior, a symbol of my _status._ _Status... I actually have status now!_ My heart swells with both excitement and pride. More than ever, I can't wait to see Lyra, and have her see _me_ wearing this cape. "Thank you! Can I try it on?"

"Please do." Fuegoleon smiles, his nerves eased by my enthusiasm. "I was hoping you would wear it to the ceremony."

"Of course!" I quickly swing it over my shoulders, securing it under my Crimson Cloak. It's light on my body, and I'm surprised how much more... distinguished I look when I examine myself in the mirror. I went put and bought some nicer clothes yesterday to wear today: A long-sleeved, light blue uniform dress with two rows of dark buttons down the front, secured with a belt around the waist. Paired with my usual boots, tights, and the cloak and new cape, I look more stately than I ever have before. Pretty cute, too. "I look... important."

Fuegoleon chuckles a little. "Well, you _are_ important. Don't sell yourself short."

I smile appreciatively up at him. He's turned into quite a good friend... well, maybe _almost_ a friend. We don't really spend much time together outside of missions, since he's basically the Captain's second-in-command at this point. But as a comrade and a mentor, I couldn't ask for anyone better. However... I still can't help but feel a strange awkwardness around him. Of course, that's entirely my fault; it just so happened that a string of "Fuegoleon" incidents had happened recently. I doubt that Fuegoleon notices anything different about me at all. "Come on," he says. "Let's go find the others and go."

I'm thankful for the presence of a spatial mage today, so we don't have to get all sweaty by riding brooms all the way to the castle. There are five of us today: Me, the Captain, Fuegoleon, Ruben, and Gareth, two older knights who were due to become senior knights today. I don't really talk to the two of them much, but I did go on a mission with Gareth once, one of his night patrols in Kikka. We ended up breaking up a bar fight in the Black Market, but nothing else of note happened. As for Ruben, I never talked to him before.

The town is bustling with life already, people working together to set up tents, stalls, and attractions. The enthusiasm today is noticeably higher than the Birthday Festival, and people are really going all-out. The entrance fee was waived this year (Julius might not get away with that next year), so people from all walks of life would be able to come and enjoy it. I'm sure that an astounding amount of revenue is about to be generated from all the food, games, and items that are being prepared to be sold. _All this happiness and vigor, just for a festival... I'm really glad that Julius was able to do this. Just imagine how big this will be in a couple years!_

The five of us walk along in a comfortable silence, with Fernanleon leading the way, Fuegoleon and I walking next to each other. I really like the way my new cape flutters along behind me as I move, our boot heels clicking rhythmically on the marble floor of the hallway. It's hot outside, but refreshingly cool inside the castle. _I wonder if that's because of some sort of climate control magic? Or maybe just because the Silvas chill this whole place down._

We finally reach a large door, probably leading into the great hall, where a gathering of people are standing together in silence. I instantly recognize the silver hair of Nozel, standing beside his sulking father. There's also two younger ones there, a teenage girl wearing the Silver Eagles cloak and a small, cruel-looking boy who can't be more than 10. _Those must be Nozel's other siblings... but where is Noelle?_ There's also a few people from some other squads, I recognize the blonde hair of that girl that Yami introduced me to before; Charlotte? From the Blue Roses, I think. Yami and William don't seem to be here, not yet at least.

"...Lord Vermillion." Lord Silva greets my Captain coldly. "I see you brought quite the crowd with you." His icy eyes drift over the knights behind him. 

"I see you only have your son and daughter here," Fernanleon answers, his voice clipped. "Those are the only two distinguished enough to be invited, eh?"

Silva scowls. "Is that an insult?"

"No, no!" Fernan laughs heartily. "Just don't try to measure yourself next to me... you'll lose every time."

The door creaks open, and Marx pokes his head out. "You know, you can come argue in here, the door's not locked," he tells us, his voice strained. I'm a little surprised at the sassy entrance, but something tells me that the blue-bowled man is under a lot of stress right now.

We obey him and file into the room, and I take a moment to look around. It's twelve times as grand as any other room in this castle, with a high ceiling, elaborately patterned tile, and beautiful stained glass windows lining the back wall. I have to remind myself to close my mouth as I stare around in awe. I finally lower my gaze to see a couple other people already inside. The Grey Deer are among them, and I'm glad to see William and Yami standing there. They both wave at me, but I have to go stand with my own squad so I just wave back without a word. Everyone in here seems fairly stiff, almost stuffy. _I forget sometimes that there's a lot of nobles in the Magic Knights, hopefully there's no problems with commoners like me being here._ Other than Yami, I'm pretty sure I'm the only non-noble here. Even William comes from an important family, apparently. 

Just a few minutes after we all line up, the door swings open again. Julius's sudden appearance prompts us all to salute with three fingers over our hearts. All eyes are on him today, as they should be; He's absolutely stunning, his robe decked out with all his medals, straightened up to his impressive height, his gait completely steady as he glides along the aisle. His gaze sweeps over all of us, his usual, easy-going smile on his face. Our eyes meet for only a moment, but I swear I see the corners of his mouth twitch as they do.

He makes it to the front, to the table with all the awards on it, then turns around to face us once again. Everyone else seems to shrink in comparison to him. "Welcome, friends. I'm glad you all could make it today. This festival is something I've had in mind for a long time, and I'm very excited to finally bring it to life. But first, I want to honor you, the men and women who protect this country with your lives every single day. You're a beacon of hope for the Kingdom, and you inspire even _me_ in new ways each time. So, I'll be awarding your new ranks and recognizing your great deeds now. I'll start with the Purple Orcas..."

He calls each one of them up by name, awarding them their medal and their new rank. I can barely sit still in anticipation, resisting the urge to tap my heel. Yami catches my eye for a moment. Without changing his expression, he points up towards the front, at Julius, and winks. I shake my head a little and quickly look away. _Sometimes I wish I never told him!_

"Nozel Silva of the Silver Eagles, please step forward." Nozel sweeps by us and walks up to the front, stopping in front of Julius. "For your work this past year, and for earning 34 stars, I award you the rank of Senior knight, 2nd class. You're truly one of our rising stars, Nozel."

"Thank you, sir."

Nozel is as serious as ever as he accepts the medal and shakes Julius's hand, then turns to walk back to his father and siblings. "Nebra Silva." Nozel's little sister walks up to the front, looking confident in herself. _She's so young! I guess that's because I entered the Knights a bit late, but still... she can't be more than sixteen._ "For earning 7 stars within your first year as a magic knight, I award you the rank of Junior Knight, 1st class." He offers her a smile, closing his eyes briefly. "Your mother would be very proud of you."

"Thank you, sir," Nebra responds before walking away. It occurs to me that the entire Silva family is here except Noelle and Lady Silva. _I've never actually heard of Nozel's mother before... I wonder what happened?_

Julius straightens up to look over at us. "There's one other person who I would like to mention," he said. "Horatio Chessman earned 16 stars over the course of this year, and worked harder to make it here than almost anyone else. Sadly, he couldn't be here today, as he was critically wounded while defending the King." I lower my gaze to the ground, remembering how sad Horatio had been when he was dismissed. "However, his achievements will not be withheld. Horatio leaves the Order of Magic Knights with the rank of Intermediate Knight, 1st class."

There's a murmur among the Silva family, but it dies down immediately as Julius directs his gaze at them. "Now, where were we? Ah! My old squad, the Grey Deer."

He goes on to award Yami the rank of Intermediate Knight, 1st class, and the same rank is given to William. They exchange a playful glance as they reunite in their places. _They're probably competing with each other, that's what friends do,_ I think, before Julius finally calls Fuegoleon up.

"Fuegoleon Vermillion... for earning 37 stars and being an exemplary leader of your squad, I award you the rank of Senior Magic Knight, 5th class."

Fernanleon basically swells up with pride as his son accepts the award, among a smattering of applause from the rest of the room. It's definitely the most amount of stars to be given out, and on top of being raised to a senior knight? Fuegoleon is really something. I clap along with the others as he shakes Julius's hand and starts to walk back to us, a satisfied smile on his face. _He beat Nozel in the number of stars, that's amazing!_ I think to myself, giving him a small nod. For a moment, I forget that I'm next, until my name is suddenly called and the room goes silent.

_Oh shit oh fuck._

Why am I so nervous? I'm not sure, but I manage to swallow the feeling as I finally step forward and make my way towards the front. I can feel every single pair of eyes in the room boring into the back of my head; well, all except one. Julius is looking me straight in the eyes, the warmth from his gaze melting my stress away almost instantly. Holding my head up high, I come to a stop in front of him, mirroring his smile. _That's right... I should be proud of myself. I earned this!_

"For all your hard work over the past six months, and for earning 34 stars-" There's a quiet murmur behind me at the number. "-I award you the rank of Intermediate Knight, 3rd class." He extends the award to me. "Congratulations... I look forward to seeing your work in the future." His eyes glint a little as he says those words. _You and me both, Julius._

"Thank you!" I quickly accept and take his outstretched hand for a quick shake. He squeezes it slightly before letting go. Letting out a relieved breath, I turn around and return to my squad, a huge smile on my face. They're all clapping for me, so I manage to ignore the Silvas who are all glaring at me. _I didn't embarrass myself, at least!_

After giving out the last few awards, Julius claps his hands once. "Now, before you all go and enjoy the festival, I've prepared a small lunch for us all to enjoy in the next room. Marx-" Marx gives him a nod before motioning for us to follow him. I'm not feeling very hungry, plus I promised to meet my family for lunch, but one drink won't hurt, will it?

"Hey, what makes you think you can earn more stars than me?" I nearly spill my drink as Yami suddenly appears next to me along with William. "How long have you been here? That's not right."

"I'm sorry, I guess I'm just that good." I smirk to myself and sip my drink, my voice dripping with false-immodesty.

Despite the tease, Yami chuckles. "Whatever. We have more put together than you do, at least."

William raises an eyebrow (at least, I think he does). "Really? Who says you can share my stars?"

"Who said you could share mine?"

"You did?"

"Hmm. Sounds false to me."

"Sorry, are these two bothering you?" Fuegoleon walks up next to me and scowls at Yami. "It's been a while, Yami."

Yami shrugs. "I suppose. And no, we weren't bothering her."

I glance between the two of them. "I didn't know you two knew each other."

Fuegoleon shakes his head a little. "We're acquainted." He leaves it at that. "Anyway, congratulations to you two, I hear that you're two of the best in your squad, now."

William smiles appreciatively. "Thank you, we just work hard, that's all."

Yami glances around and catches sight of the Silva family all standing together with a few other nobles here. I also notice him look at Charlotte, who was staring at him. She quickly looks away. "Those guys over there are muttering about something. Probably us, right?"

I gulp. "Probably me. I heard them whisper something while I was getting my award."

"Don't let them cheapen this." I feel a hand on my shoulder as Fuegoleon speaks. "They're always like this. For them, blood takes priority over merit, even though merit is what ultimately decides the winners and losers. Take Lord Julius, for example." My eyes flicker over to Yami and William for a moment, and they both give me a pointed look. _Shut up, guys!_ "He's a noble, yes, but not royalty or anything. The last Wizard King was from the house of Kira. Even so, his magic is much more powerful than any royal's, and he has the leadership skills to back it up."

"Huh," I answer, thinking his words over. "That's true... so, in the end, anyone can become the Wizard King if they can prove themselves? Even Commoners or Peasants?"

"Theoretically, yes."

"Theoretically?"

"... Fine. Yes. If one of them is born with magic that outweighs all others, at least."

 _I wonder if Horatio would have had a chance._ I look up at William and Yami again. _And them, too... they're all striving for that same goal, right? That's kind of amazing, but only one of them will be able to get it in the end._

I quickly finish the rest of my drink. "I need to go meet up with my family, I haven't seen them in months," I tell the others. "Enjoy lunch!"

Surprisingly, William and Yami start following me out. "Can we come?

"Huh? Why?"

Yami glances back at the crowd. "Not my scene." William shrugs, staying as mysterious as usual.

"Well..." I smile. "I don't see a problem with it! Come on."

We enter the hallway just as Julius appears, making his way to the lunch. "Oh? Going somewhere?"

"We're going to go have lunch with my family," I explain, pausing and allowing him to approach. He looks a bit disappointed. "I promised them."

"Ah, I see. Well, I need to hang around here for a while, where are you meeting them?"

"Just outside the castle gates! They should be there now."

"OH!" His eyes light up. "I'll come! Just for a little bit! If that's alright, of course."

How am I supposed to refuse those eyes? "Yeah, I'm sure they'll love to meet you, especially the kids!" Of course, they all saw him briefly all those months ago, but this will still be a nice treat.

I lead the way down the hall and down the stairs, since I've finally learned my way around this place. Julius walks just behind me, flanked by Yami and William. The two of them have stayed strangely silent before, but all of the sudden they both start teasing the poor man mercilessly (well, mostly Yami does).

"So, Julius, how are things going?"

"Great, actually! Why do you ask?"

There's laughter from both William and Yami at the oblivious answer. "Master Julius, you're more lively than usual."

"Am I? That's surprising, Marx has been working me to the bone lately."

"Hmm, not really. You've got more _youthful_ _vigor_ in your life now, after all." Yami adds.

Julius blinks, finally starting to catch on. "Oh, I see. _Ha ha._ You two are very funny."

"Funny? You have a weird sense of humor, old man."

Julius laughs nervously, his expression only faltering for a moment. "Old?"

"You're not old, Master Julius."

"In any case," Yami continues, his voice a bit less gruff now. "I have to congratulate you... she's a good one."

"Well, I can't argue with you about that." Julius gulps, blushing a little bit. "Thanks, Yami."

"I just didn't you to go for someone so young-"

"Hey, I can hear everything you guys are saying, you know?" I finally snap, turning around to glare at the three of them, now looking very sheepish. "Cut it out before we get down to my family!"

"Yes Ma'am," all three of them chorus, even William who didn't really do anything wrong.

We finally exit the castle and head out to the gate. I squint my eyes in the sunlight and spot a group of people standing there on the edge of town in the shade. One of them is fat with pregnancy. "That's them!" With a huge smile on my face, I take off running towards them. Lyra spots me and gasps loudly. She meets me as I reach them, immediately jumping into my arms to hug me. I hug her back tightly, realizing all at once just how much I missed her. 

"You... you look fabulous!" Lyra exclaims when she pulls back, reaching out and holding up my cape. "Wow... a real magic knight!"

Aunt Portia is basically in tears. "I never thought you could look so official... I'm sorry I ever doubted you!"

I laugh off her worries, but deep down I'm really touched. _If Aunt Portia can change, maybe my mom can, too._ Although, my mom stayed behind, so I'm not so sure about that. Pat and Rocco start tugging on my cape roughly. "Let me try on your cloak! Please please please please!" Rocco pleads.

"Hey, leave her alone!" Portia scolds. "Your cousin is a dignified magic knight now, you better beha-AAAA!!!! IS THAT-" She screams mid-sentence, and I know exactly why. We turn to see that Julius, Yami, and William have finally caught up to us. "Y-Your majesty! I-I-It's great to see you again!" Portia and Lyra quickly bow, while my little cousins just stare up at him in awe.

Julius laughs and raises his hand to wave. "Please, Please, just Julius. Your niece is a good friend of mine."

Portia gapes at me, elbowing me. " _Friends?"_ she whispers, shocked. "Look at you!" She turns back to Julius. "In any case, we'd like to extend our regards once again for saving our town back then."

Lyra smiles up at him before looking over at Yami and William. "You two... you were in our town back then as well, correct?"

"Yep!" I gesture at them each in turn. "This is Yami, and this is William, both members of the Grey Deer. William took the entrance exam with me when we were fifteen! The time I failed, remember?"

We all laugh about it. "It's nice to meet you again," William tells them, smiling through his mask.

_"Wizard King! Wizard King!"_

Uh oh. I turn around to the source of the chanting to see that Pat and Rocco have already latched onto Julius's legs, preparing to climb up him. "Ah! You two, stop it!" I scold. Portia is too mortified to form words.

"Ah, it's fine! Kids will be kids!" Julius responds quickly, reaching down and picking up Rocco. He genuinely doesn't seem to mind the attention. "Hey! What's your magic?" His eyes suddenly start sparkling. 

Rocco giggles and suddenly wriggles out of Julius's arms. A small cloud forms underneath him, letting him float in the air eye-level with Julius.

Julius is basically vibrating with excitement at this point. "Wow! Cloud magic? And that strong, too, even without a Grimoire! Here-" He reaches into his robe and pulls out a piece of candy. _Wait, he keeps candy in there?! He never offered any to me!_ Rocco squeals in joy.

"Hey! Me too!" Julius looks down to see Pat's hands are sparking where they're grabbed onto his pantleg. The fabric starts to burn. "Whoa there! let go for a moment." Pat does so, spreading his palms up and letting a shower of sparks burst out of them. "Amazing!" He produces more candy while I watch with a combination of amusement and joy. _Look at him... he would make a great father, wouldn't he?_

Rocco floats over to Yami and stares him down. Yami recoils a bit. "Creepy. Are ya trying to get in a staring contest, kid?"

For a moment I wonder if Rocco is going to comment on the fact that Yami is a foreigner. Luckily, all he does is reach out and tug on Yami's hair. "Fluffy!"

Pat lets go of Julius finally and runs over to William, tapping his knee. William smiles and kneels down to look at him. "What is it, little boy?"

"Can I try on your mask?"

William's face falls. "...no."

"Well, I better get going," Julius says, smiling radiantly at the six of us. "Enjoy your lunches. You three are invited to the Captains' dinner, by the way." He glances between us. "So... I'll see you there." He gazes at me a moment longer than the others, a longing in his eyes. _Poor man, he's usually so clingy but he can't be today,_ I think to myself, giving him a little wink that my family can't see. He raises an eyebrow but says nothing, turning away and walking back off into the castle.

Lyra smiles brightly at the rest of us. "Will you two be joining us for lunch?"

"Yeah, if you pay-"

"Yes! I'll pay for us!" William interrupts Yami before he can be rude.

So, we head off to town, finding a restaurant to eat at. It feels so great to hang out with my family again, even if it's not all of them. It's also wonderful that Yami and William can be here too, even if they're a bit of a handful. All in all... I have a feeling that this is going to be a great day. We sit around for a long time at the restaurant, just eating and drinking (not Lyra though, she's pregnant after all). Afterwards, the festival has truly begun, so we head off to enjoy the fesitvities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time... MC enjoys the festival with her family and friends, leading up to the big announcement at the end of the night! Which squad came out on top this year? Find out in chapter 25!


	25. the star festival pt. 2

"I'm going to take these two to the horror house!"

Lyra winces a little at her mother's proposition. "Won't they be scared?"

Portia shook her head, looking tired. "No, they're the ones begging me. You know how much they love scary stories!"

Pat and Rocco giggle to themselves before turning and running off, their mother attempting to keep up. Lyra and I exchange a glance before laughing to ourselves. So far, this has been an amazing day. The festival is in full swing, music and laughter filling the streets of the capital. Someone is setting off a few preliminary fireworks as the sun starts to dip in the sky. The big announcement is supposed to be at 7 pm, so we still have about two hours left to enjoy ourselves. I pull glances as I walk along next to Lyra, no doubt because of my official appearance. _I really could get used to this!_ Yami has disappeared from sight, and William goes off in search of him, leaving Lyra and I alone. 

"So..." Lyra thinks over her words carefully before continuing. "This Julius guy..." Her eyes glint a little. "What exactly is going on there?"

I raise an eyebrow at her, my heart thumping. I purposely didn't tell her about that whole thing before today, because I didn't want to cause a big scene with Portia and the kids, who I know would freak out. Lyra though... now that she's here, I can trust her. "Well... you know-" Her smile widens at my nervous behavior as I figure out how to phrase it. "We... really hit it off. We spent a lot of time together researching this-" I point at my forehead. "And eventually... uh-" I hold up my hands. _You got me!_

Lyra's silence finally breaks, and she lets out a squeal of laughter. "I knew it! Eek! Somehow, I had a feeling from how you talked about him in your letters." She smiles and links her arm with mine as we walk. "I'm impressed... the _Wizard King?!"_ She scoffs. "Who knew you would bag him!"

"I know, it's a little crazy. We're trying to keep it quiet for now, though," I tell her. Both of us agreed that it was best to keep our relationship secret for now. He would definitely be pressured to leave me if any of the nobles found out, and I could be looked down upon for trying to seduce the guy. Neither of us wanted that kind of negative attention right now. "But... even if he wasn't the Wizard King, that wouldn't change how I feel." I felt a fluttering sensation in my belly. "He's such a kind man... protective, noble, passionate-"

"Look at you! You're so in love!" I'm a bit aghast at Lyra's exclamation. "In any case... I'm happy for you." She squeezes my arm. "Do you want me to stay quiet about it?"

"Hmm... just until you get home," I tell her after thinking about it. "I don't want to cause a scene, you know?"

"Understood!"

"Thanks... Lyra..." I pause for a moment to look at her. "I couldn't be luckier to have you in my family... I missed you so much."

Lyra looks like she might cry, but smiles brightly up at her. "Of course... you're like my sister, you know. I'm so glad that you're building this life for yourself, after all those years suffering back home. You've grown so much..."

"Hey!" Someone suddenly grabs my arm, and I look up to see Yami there, already slightly tipsy. However, the look in his eye is serious. "We're having a drinking contest, you better come cheer me on."

"Oh?" That sounds kind of fun. Part of me wants to join in, but I want to remain sober for the banquet tonight. "Sure, the kids are off somewhere else so me might as well!"

Lyra agrees, since she's seen her fair share of drinking contests while working at the tavern. Yami leads us to a tent where a bunch of younger magic knights have gathered, from all different squads. William is there, looking a bit uncomfortable around all the noise. They're busy placing a bunch of bottles of beer down, presumably for the contest. Standing near the middle of it all is a pale, thin guy around Yami's age with a permanent smirk on his face. He's wearing a cloak from the Green Mantises. "Yami! So you aren't going to back out?" He lets out a malicious laugh. 

"Like Hell I am! Just 'cuz I lost last year, Jack, doesn't mean I'm going to quit now. I have limits to surpass," Yami replies smugly, pointing accusingly at Jack. "You cheated, anyway."

"Ka, ka, how so?" 

"No use tellin' ya if you don't remember!"

Things don't get better between Jack and Yami the more they drink. They keep shit-talking each other, taunting the other that they can't possibly last one more drink. Somehow, they each do, making their tempers worse. 

"Grr! I'll slice you up if you say the word _squid_ again!" Jack warns. I don't even know what a squid is, but I assume it's some kind of food. 

"Yeah? Tell ya what-" Yami challenges. "Next year, I'll sell squid and you sell your crappy meat. _Then_ we'll see who's right!"

Jack growls like a dog and suddenly jumps up onto the table. Two large knife-like growths suddenly appear on his arms, formed by magic. "What did I tell you? I'm going to slice you up!"

"Hell no!" Yami suddenly draws the sword he always has on his hip, dark magic forming around it. Despite the dangerous situation, my eyes blow wide with wonder. _Yami's magic! It looks really cool!_

The crowd screams as the two men run at each other, but they're both suddenly constrained by huge roots that come exploding out of the ground. Once the dust settles, I see William making his way toward them, Grimoire out and an annoyed look on the bottom half of his face. "You two are going to kill yourselves, or worse, someone in the crowd," he admonishes. "Behave yourselves, please, for the sake of your squads." There's a solemn authority in his voice that keeps it steady, and for a moment I even feel guilty, even though I didn't do anything. _William actually has some leadership skills, doesn't he?_

"Wow... such beautiful and elegant magic! Is that William Vangeance of the Grey Deer?" someone behind me whispers. A few people clap at his display. William looks around, letting himself smile. "Please, everyone... enjoy yourselves."

Portia comes back with two crying boys a few minutes later (apparently the horror house was too scary after all!) and Lyra goes off to help her, leaving me alone with William. "Thanks for stepping in, I don't know if I would have had the courage to stop them!" I tell him, looking up at the sky. The first few stars are about to appear. "Your World Tree magic is just as cool as ever."

"Thank you, I'm just trying to keep everyone safe," William replies with a subdued smile. "My magic was always seen as a curiosity before, so I'm glad it can be of practical use now."

I nod along with his words, starting to get curious. "Your family... are they here anywhere?"

"Ah, probably not." I notice his face fall a little. "I doubt they care much for my achievements at this point."

 _Hmm... that sounds familiar,_ I think, remembering my mother. "Oh... I'm sorry."

"Don't be. My childhood may have been tough, because of my status, and my... my face, but those days are far behind me." He smiles again, standing up straight. "Because of Julius, I found a new life with the Magic Knights. I got to meet many good friends as well. I'll continue to serve Julius, and one day I intend to become the Wizard King myself."

There was something inspiring about listening to him talk about his dreams, his voice taking on the same determination and pride that Fuegoleon and Horatio had when they declared the same thing. "... I'm happy for you, William." I was still curious about what he said about his face, but I wasn't about to ask about it further since it was obviously a sensitive topic. "Wanna get a drink?"

"Haven't we had several already?"

"Maybe... come on, it'll make us less nervous for the banquet!" 

"Good point!"

Eventually, we notice people moving in waves towards some central location. "Oh! The announcement is happening now!" Lyra exclaims, holding a sleeping Pat. The two boys tired themselves out over the course of the night, so Lyra and Portia would be heading to their hotel after this. Yami is also starting to look a bit tired, but for other reasons. "Come on, we don't want to miss it, do we?"

"Right! William-" I point at the sitting Yami. "Get him moving, or we're going to be late."

William nods and somehow manages to drag the much larger Yami to his feet, and we finally start heading over to the large, raised area where the announcement was to take place. People are basically crammed into the plaza, all talking and laughing loudly with each other. _Everyone seems to be having a good time, at least! This festival was a huge success!_ I can hear a few people exchanging bets before the rankings are revealed. Yet another way to stimulate the economy, after all.

_"Do you think it'll be the Grey Deer again?"_

_"Probably not, I hear it's been a bit rough since they changed captains."_

_"Then, probably the Silver Eagles or Crimson Lions."_

_"The Eagles have always been second to the Deer, I bet they'll win this time!"_

Their conversation gets my own mind racing. _If the Grey Deer aren't going to win this year, we actually have a really good chance!_

I'm interrupted as the crowd suddenly cheers loudly. I look up and see the reason; Julius has arrived, walking over to the edge of the building, smiling and waving at everyone. Marx is right behind him, and the Captains soon emerge as well. The cheering gets louder with each new appearance, riled up by the feeling of competition in the air. Everyone has their favorites, so everyone is rooting for them to win. Julius eventually raises his hand, prompting the plaza to fall silent once again. _God, I love how easily he does that!_

"Hello everyone! Thank you for coming out to celebrate these seven amazing magic knights squads," he begins, his voice amplified through magical means. "This festival is something I've had in mind for a long time, so I'm grateful for your support." There's a bit of applause at his words, someone whistling loudly. "Anyway, these squads have worked harder this year from ever before. Both old and new members have contributed to their squads' success this year, and tonight is the culmination of their accomplishments. Now, I know what you're all waiting for... time to announce the squad rankings this year!"

The crowd goes wild. Marx raises his hand and a large projection appears in the air. "Let's just get right to it... in first place, with 98 stars, the Crimson Lion Kings!"

 _98 stars! I contributed 34 of those!!!_ I think to myself as the crowd roars with applause. Captain Fernanleon puffs up his chest at the news, about to burst with excitement. Lyra grabs my arm, jumping so quickly that I can't imagine that can be good for her baby. "You did it! Your squad won! Look at you!"

"In second place, the Silver Eagles with 94 stars!"

Whoa! That was _really_ close! More cheers emanate from the crowd as Julius continues. "In 3rd place, with 72 stars, the Grey Deer. In 4th, with 68 stars, the Purple Orcas. In 5th, with 62, the Blue Roses. In 6th, the Coral Peacocks with 41, and in 7th is the Green Praying Mantises."

Someone decides to set off a flurry of fireworks at that very moment, adding to the cacophony of sound down in the plaza. I've never been in the presence of so many people at once before, much less so many _happy_ people. Lyra is still holding onto my arm, Yami is yelling something along the lines of _"We'll beat you next year, you damn Lion! At least Jack's squad is in last place."_ Rocco and Pat are holding onto my legs, chanting something unintelligible. Above anything else, though, people are shouting their praises to the Wizard King, happy that he's held such a wonderful and open event.

I'm sure there are those who will grumble about this later. Allowing peasants to enter the capital and mingle with each other? People who, in their eyes, didn't deserve even a shred of respect? And yet, here _I_ am, having won a prestigious award, climbing my way through the ranks and being acknowledged by the best in this country. _Julius, maybe you'll be able to change the world. This is the first step towards that goal, isn't it?_

"I think these two need their sleep," Lyra tells me, as Rocco slumbers once again in her arms. "So... we'll let you go."

I offer her a smile, leaning in to give her a tight hug. "Alright... it was really great to see you guys."

"I know! We'll come visit again soon! Or better," Portia adds, coming in for a hug as well. "You come visit us! Bring your Wizard King friend with you as well!"

I laugh nervously at the proposal. "We'll see.."

"Come on!" I look around to see Yami waiting for me impatiently beside William. I sigh and turn back to my family. "I'm going to miss you guys... see you soon!"

"Have fun!" Portia calls after me as I walk away. I glance back to see Lyra wink at me. _I told her to tell the others about Julius when they got home... Portia is going to flip out! And my mother..._

Would my mother even care? She always wanted me to end up with someone rich, someone who could support a large family. Not that I'm thinking that far ahead right now... but would that finally make her happy?

It's startlingly easy to imagine, even now: Me, Julius, and a pile of kids. They all look like him, all with those sparkling eyes. My heart feels pinched at the thought. _I can't think about that! Not now. Maybe one day. We'll have to see where this goes._

_And anyway, I don't care if it makes my mom happy. If I ever do those things, it'll be for myself, no one else._

The inside of the castle is practically sparkling as we walk to the banquet, reminding me that there's going to be a load of nobles and royals there. The realization only hurts my excitement a little as I catch a whiff of a glorious scent, drifting around the hallway. "Is that... food?"

Yami sniffs the air as well, his pupils dilating. "They better feed us well, seeing as the company is going to be rotten."

I understand what he means as we turn the corner. The door to the great hall is open again, and I catch a glimpse of a certain silver-haired group walking inside. _Oh. Wonderful!_ As long as I don't have to sit near the Silva's I'll be happy. Any time I see them, I'm reminded of what they did to Horatio and anger clouds my vision, causing my fingertips to heat up, begging me to set something aflame. Maybe Nozel's terrible braid? _Calm down! Just enjoy the food._

The room is lines with long tables, covered with gold trimmed tablecloth and lit by the elaborate chandeliers up above. No one is really sitting down yet, just milling about and chatting. The top of the crop in the Kingdom's nobility are here among the magic knights. While the knights are all dressed in more uniform-like clothing, these nobles are more luxurious... soft robes, flowing dresses, silk, satin, velvet, the whole works. Some of them are wearing small tiaras. The women are all stunningly beautiful, and I almost start to feel insecure about it when I feel a familiar hand on my shoulder.

"So? What do you think?" I don't even have to look up to recognize the voice. Julius is there, letting out a soft sigh as he looks over the scene. "Is it a bit tacky?"

"No! Not at all." I smile and lean into his touch a little, careful not to go too far. It's comforting to feel him now, in this unfamiliar setting. "I've never been to a party this fancy before."

He chuckles a bit at my admission. "Well, I hope you enjoy it. I'm glad you're here."

"Me too."

He starts to draw attention from the others, and eventually walks away to mingle with them. I watch him go, feeling all warm inside. _Look at him... how lucky am I?_ I know that he once told me that _he_ was the one who was lucky here, but I have to disagree. Never in a million years would I expect someone like him to notice me. But now... things were going really well. I suspect that he might even ask me to spend the night.

"Gross. How long are you going to gawk at him like that?" Yami's gruff voice pulls me from my thoughts, and I glare over at him. "Hey! Don't interrupt my gawking."

"Everyone, please take your seats and get ready to greet the King of the Clover Kingdom!"

My blood runs cold for no particular reason. _I was hoping to never see that guy again, but looks like I can't avoid it now,_ I think to myself. The three of us look around the tables and eventually find the spots that were set up for us. Somehow, the Crimson Lion area and the Grey Deer area just so happened to be set up right next to each other. _Someone knows that I'm friends with William and Yami... well played!_ I go ahead and sit across from them. However, I'm only able to sit for a moment before the doors swing open, and Augustus arrives. "All rise!"

We salute as he slowly makes his way to the table up front. "Hello, everyone," he says meekly. "Please enjoy the food." He looks like he just woke up, letting out a yawn as he sits down in his chair at the front of the room. I realize too late that the seat I chose is facing his table, but it ends up working out as Julius goes and sits next to the King. He catches my eye and smiles knowingly, as if he planned this whole thing. Knowing him... he did.

Suddenly, waiters stream into the room, each carrying five heaping plates of food. My brain short-circuits the moment mine is placed in front of me, and I can't help it when my jaw drops. I've never seen such delicacies before: roasted turkey, the crispy brown skin still attached; thinly sliced potatoes stewed in a rich cheese sauce; delicate-looking greens drizzled with some red dressing; an assortment of vegetables, some I don't recognize. "What is this?" I spear a small, red, round thing on my fork and hold it up.

"That? That's a cherry tomato," William replies, picking up his own silverware. "You've never seen one before?"

My eyes widen at this new information. "It's... so small..." The tomatoes we ate back home were huge, lumpy ones that bent their branches by the time they were ripe. I pop it in my mouth, and it tastes a bit sour. I look back down at my plate, a little intimidated by the amount of food there. Do nobles eat like this every day? Even with my normal appetite, I don't think I could manage this, but even less so now. I haven't been hungry all day. But still... I was presented with this food. I can't back down! I will surpass my limits and eat it all!

And I do. It gets easier the more I eat, and before I know it, I'm setting my fork down beside my empty plate, feeling very accomplished. Yami finishes soon after, letting out a satisfied sigh. "That was good, I have to admit. A little overcooked, but still good."

Suddenly, I hear some whispering. "My god, did she really just eat all of that?"

"Disgusting. To be expected of a commoner."

"That's not becoming of a lady."

"Not a lady. You can't call her that."

Whoa, whoa, WHOA! What was that all about? I turn around to see a ground of nobles at the table behind me all muttering among each other, staring at me. My gaze flickers down to their plates to see that they only ate about half of their food before stopping. _Huh? Are they seriously going to get on my case about finishing my food? I was taught to not waste anything!_

Part of me begs myself to stay silent, but I can only take so much grief in one day. However, I'm not just about to set them on fire right away or anything. "Oh! Is there a problem? I'm sorry if me finishing the food that was prepared and served to me offended you in any way!"

The nobles look shocked that I have the gall to speak to them. "Don't address us nobles in that tone," one of them sneers. The Silvas are sitting nearby, but they stay silent. "If I wish it, I could end your career and even your life in an instant."

Fuegoleon tugs on my cloak, trying to get my attention as he watches from his seat next to me. "Hey, it's not worth it-"

"No, no, you misunderstand me!" I ignore Fuegoleon's pleads, putting on the brightest, friendliest smile that I can manage right now. "I understand my error completely. You nobles are correct, as usual. It was rude of me to _care_ about wasting food when so many people are starving to death out there!" I raise my hands innocently. "My bad!"

Chaos erupts. Someone knocks over their goblet, spilling red wine everywhere. One of the noblewomen looks like she's about to faint. "You mongrel! You'll pay for that-"

"Excuse me, before you two kill anyone, I'd like to cut in real quick." The commotion immediately stops as soon as Julius shows up. I'm not sure how he got over here so fast, but I internally thank the gods for his speed. The noble freezes in place at the sight of the Wizard King, who isn't scolding anyone outright. "O-Oh, sorry sir-"

"No, it's quite alright! I just want everyone to get along, haha!" He lets out a good natured laugh. "Can you do that for me?" His tone is friendly, but there's a strength beneath it that makes even these pompous royals listen to him. It's kind of hot.

"...Yes, Wizard King."

Letting out a satisfied hum, Julius suddenly turns to look down at me. He looks quite good from down here, I have to admit. "I saw this and thought of you." He holds up something in his hand, a bottle of some expensive-looking wine. "It's sherry. I thought you'd like to try it, it'll go quite well with our dessert."

"... thank you." I smile a little, trying not to look suspicious in front of everyone, and gladly take the bottle. I examine the label as an excuse to avoid his intense gaze. _Pairs well with desserts._ I don't have to look up to know that we've drawn a bit of attention, but not enough to disrupt anything, luckily. The noble that I embarrassed is no longer looking at us. "I'll try it for sure!"

Suddenly, Julius leans down to whisper something in my ear, placing one of his hands on the tabletop to cage me in. "By the way... if you don't have anything pressing, I would like to talk to you after this ... alone."

 _Ah! I was expecting that, but did you have to ask right here next to everyone!?!_ I think to myself, color flooding my face instantly. "A-a-ah sure, of course, sir." My answer is a little two quick, my voice a bit high pitched. Julius chuckles and, without saying another word, pats me on the back and straightens up to walk away. Luckily, I don't think anyone heard him, but I can feel a few eyes linger on the back of my head. Yami says nothing, but raises his eyebrows so high that I'm sure they'll float off of his face. William just averts his eyes and says nothing.

"...what was that about?" I turn to look over at Fuegoleon. It takes me a moment to process his question. "What did the Wizard King want?"

"Oh!" I chuckle nervously as I recover, my face still red. "Er, nothing, he just said congratulations and everything." I take a deep breath through my nose. "So... tomorrow. I don't have to do anything, right?"

Fuegoleon stares at me long and hard, his face unreadable. Finally, he answers. "...No. You have the day off. Work resumes the next day, though."

I'm relieved, despite the scrutiny his stare is giving me. "Right... thanks." I quickly take a long drink from my goblet to quell my nerves, but it does little to help. 

Augustus stares at Julius as he returns to his seat. "Do you feel no shame? Mingling with commoners like that," he asks, referring to me.

Julius shrugs. "No... she's the one who saved us two months ago, remember? You made me give her a high rank."

"Oh, that's right!" Augustus nods slowly, a smile coming onto his face. "She's a nice girl... maybe I'll ask her to share a drink with me after this, eh?"

Julius's face falls for just an instant. _...I beat you to it, sir._ "Ah, I don't know about that. She's probably very busy, after all."

"Too busy for _me?_ " Augustus chortles, drinking from his goblet without taking his eyes off of me. "There's always time to serve your king."

"Hmm," Julius clears his throat. "And anyway... I think she belongs to someone else already."

Augustus scoffs, but doesn't pursue the subject further. Julius lets out a content sigh, letting his gaze drift over to me once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time... Chapter 26: a stubborn spell refuses to reveal more about itself, but succeeds in bringing two people closer together.


	26. the stubborn spell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Okay so before we get into it, I have published 2 chapters at once today bc the second one is an optional (***) chapter. Enjoy lol ;)
> 
> 2\. Also poor poor Fuegoleon that boy can't catch a break 🙃

Julius was right, the sherry goes exceptionally well with the vanilla cake we're served for dessert. Yami demands that I share it with him and William, and I don't resist. I've surprised myself tonight by how much I was able to eat, and despite the criticism I got, I'm proud that I didn't waste a single shred of food. Nobles are weird... they think it's some status symbol to waste food, as if it brings them satisfaction to throw away what others would kill for. At least not all nobles are like that... The Vermillions also devoured all of their food, almost as fast as I did. 

Eventually, we get shepherded into another room which, thankfully, has an open bar and lots of comfy seats. I notice that girl from the Blue Roses, Charlotte, standing by herself in the corner, looking a bit left out of everything. While she thinks no one is looking, her eyes are practically glued onto Yami as he chats with the others on his squad. _Uh oh... does someone have a little crush, doesn't she?_ I think to myself, smug that I finally figured it out. _Her taste is questionable, though._ After spending time with Yami, I can definitely say that he's not my type. I'm about to walk over and say hi to her, my courage strengthened by the drink in my hand, but I pause when I feel something tug on my cape. I look down and am surprised to see none other than Noelle there, smiling up at me.

"Noelle? Isn't it past your bed time?" she shrugs, looking around nervously. It's past 10 pm by now so she should definitely be asleep. The girl lets out a little yawn. I sigh and take her hand. "Here, let's sit down." I lead her over to one of the couches and lift her up so she can sit on it. I get a few strange glances from the people around me, but they don't say anything. I don't see the other Silva's nearby. "Why are you here? Are you looking for your family?"

She shakes her head. "No... I just heard something was happening and wanted to come. Solid and Nebra got to come." Noelle yawns again, leaning her head against the arm of the sofa. "I'm not... tired at all..." 

Uh oh. Her eyelids are drooping quickly. I start to panic and look around, freezing when I spot Nozel walking towards us with an annoyed look on his face. "What's going on here?" he demands, hands on his hips. He slows down when he spots his little sister, now fully asleep.

"I don't know, she just showed up and fell asleep," I tell him. "I think she was feeling... left out."

For a split second, some strange softness passes through his eyes, melting his cold gaze for just a moment. "Hmph. Kids will be kids. I'll take care of this." Without another word, he picks her up carefully and walks off out of sight, leaving me standing there wondering what exactly just happened. _I've never seen him act like he wasn't annoyed. Why do they leave Noelle out of things? Is it because she's really young? Man... royals are weird._

It's not long after that the party starts to wrap up. "Thank you all for coming!" Julius tells everyone. He doesn't seem tired at all, still smiling brightly out at the crowd. "I'll make sure that next year is even better, don't worry! Congratulations to the Crimson Lion Kings for being the best squad next year! I hope the magic knights work even harder in the future." He waves goodbye to people as they start to trickle out, then moves to exit himself. He catches my eye for a moment before he disappears and makes a small, almost unnoticeable gesture. _Come on._ I feel a little shiver go down my spine in anticipation of whatever is about to happen.

I quickly find Yami and William, still hanging out by the bar. "Hey, I'm about to disappear," I tell them quickly. "If Fuegoleon asks where I am, just tell him... I don't know. Just make something up."

Yami salutes, grinning like an idiot. "You got it. Have fun."

Giving them one last goodbye, I join those leaving the room, disappearing out the door. Just as I do, Fuegoleon shows up next to Yami and William, craning his neck to see over the crowd. He calls my name a few times before turning to the pair of them. "Have you seen her? I was going to take her home, we're leaving now," he asks them, a concerned look on his face. "I hope she hasn't run off and gotten lost..."

Yami wants to laugh, but manages to contain himself. He feels a bit bad for Fuegoleon, after all. "Hell if I know. Last time I saw her she said she had to talk to someone."

William, who isn't (apparently) as comfortable with lying, just shrugs and looks away. Fuegoleon frowns, his concern deepening as he slowly starts to put two and two together. 

_Oh. OH._

He quickly clears his throat, his face becoming as red as his hair. "Ah... well I'm s-sure she can take care of herself." Yami had never seen the stoic man look like this before. He's almost... forlorn? In addition to being embarrassed. "Goodnight... gentlemen." Without another word, Fuegoleon turns around and walks back to find his father, giving up on his search. 

Meanwhile, I duck out of the stream of departing people. I have no idea where Julius went so I wander around aimlessly for a bit and end up by myself in one of the adjoining rooms. It's pretty dark, lit only by the open window in the corner. I know I should probably be looking for Julius right now, but my curiosity gets the better of me and I wall over to peer out. A smile immediately crosses my features at the sight of the city below. Despite how late it is, the festival is still going on, the twinkling lights scattered throughout the city. _What an amazing night... I've never seen so much_ life _in one place._

"Pretty romantic, right?"

There he is. Julius's weight is suddenly behind me as he wraps his arms around my shoulders, his chin coming to rest on the top of my head. "Mhmm," I answer simply, leaning back against his chest, reveling in the warmth of his embrace. I haven't been able to really touch him all day, and I can't imagine how he must feel about that. I reach up and hang my hands on his arms. "How'd you find me?"

He hums mysteriously. "I figured you'd get lost and end up here," he teases. "You should be more careful, wandering around in these dark hallways... you never know what kind of men are going to be lurking around."

"Oh?" I raise an eyebrow, my pulse quickening. "Men like you?"

"Perhaps." He leans over and kisses my cheek quickly. "Come on... you're going to like the view from my room much better."

Oh boy. I nod in response, eager to get going. His hand slips into mine as he pulls me out of the room and into the hallway, which is now deserted. I'm not sure if I should say something or make small talk, but the silence is comfortable enough that I don't. At one point, he snakes his arm down around my waist, pulling me against his hip. The movement catches me off guard and I nearly slip and fall. "Oops! You alright?" Julius asks, stopping briefly so I can regain my balance. "Sorry about that... you didn't drink too much did you?"

I quickly shake my head, my face feeling warm at the slip up. "No, I'm fine," I answer. Maybe I'm a bit buzzed, but I definitely still have my senses. Julius slows down, even though he's obviously eager to get to wherever we're going. "This was a really good idea, you know. The festival and all. I haven't seen people in the capital so... happy before." I let out a little sigh, smiling to myself. "I think you might be a genius."

"I'm flattered you think so..." I notice a change in his tone and look up to see that he's frowning for some reason, staring ahead blankly as we walk. He would get like this sometimes, even in the middle of a happy moment. As if he suddenly remembered the weight he had taken upon his shoulders. He wanted to change the world, right? Maybe it wasn't happening as fast as he wanted, but it _was_ happening. As long as he was the Wizard King, his dream could come true.

"You okay?"

He blinks, snapping out of it as he looks down into my eyes. His smile is back on his face. 

"... yeah. I think so."

Julius's room is in the east tower of the Castle, a few floors higher than his office. It's a bit smaller than I imagined, but not in a bad way. It's humble. Julius almost freaks out the moment we step inside, though. "Ah! I forgot to tidy this stuff up!" He shoots over to the reading area in the corner where he has stacks of books, papers, pens, important looking documents, and half-eaten food strewn about. "Go, uh- distract yourself at the window!" He points to the large bay window at the other side of the room, and I quickly obey after taking a quick glance around. The room is sparsely decorated, with just one heavy tapestry hanging on the stone wall. Light emanates from what I assume is the bathroom, and the bed sits there patiently. I gladly distract myself from it. 

This view... it's spectacular. The city ends, dissolving into rolling hills that stretch out to the horizon. And at the horizon, I can see a thin line of something, sparkling in the moonlight. Is that... water?

"You've never seen the ocean, have you?" Julius is suddenly behind me again, having finished his cleaning job. I look back to see that he's discarded his robe somewhere. _He looks so good without it,_ I think briefly before looking out the window again. "It's just a little bit, but I thought you'd like it."

"... I do. I always wanted to go there." Back home, I spent many long hours dreaming that I was somewhere else. 

"You will." He squeezes my shoulders slightly. "There's a nice resort in the town over there. I'll take you there one day."

The thought is extremely tempting, but I can't help but feel a bit bad. _He's done so much for me already, I don't want to just keep asking for things from him. Although, he_ did _offer._

I'm distracted as he pulls at the collar of my cloak. "Take this off, you must be sweltering," Julius says softly. _Oh? Is this it? Are we doing this?_ I don't detect any ulterior motive in his voice, but I suspect that's the case. Not that I'm going to resist... I curse my nerves silently, wishing that I could just relax and enjoy this night without the past trauma coming back to haunt me. Nevertheless, I let him help me out of my cloak, along with the new cape. His hand slides down my arm, sending goosebumps through my skin, then suddenly goes for my hip. I'm sure he's about to pull me into a kiss, but instead his hand lands on my Grimoire. 

_Hmm? What's he doing?_

He leans in, his voice soft, to whisper in my ear. 

"... can we try... that new spell?"

I blink, a little confused. I was sure we were about to start the process of, you know, but now he wants to try out that mystery spell? _Now?!_

He senses my confusion and quickly backpedals. "I mean, only if you feel up to it. Otherwise, we can just- er-" His voice trails off awkwardly, avoiding my eyes for a split second. 

_Uh oh, this is bad..._ Just the thought of using that spell sends me spiraling onto the edge of a panic, even though I'm not sure why. I hardly remember what it was like the first time, but I remember pain... horrible, astounding pain. _I can't do it... I don't know what it does, but this spell is going to kill me!_

_No... it's not. I won't be killed by my own spell._

Slowly but surely, my resolve is coming back.

_I need to master it! I want to show Julius that I'm strong. This spell did something to us both, something intimate. I want to explore that, and so does he. I'm stronger now than i was before, I can do it!_

"I can do it."

Julius looks back at me, his eyes flashing with excitement. "You can? Are you sure?" He's practically vibrating at this point in anticipation. 

I smile brightly and nod eagerly. "Yes... let's do it. And then..." I feel my cheeks heat up at the thought of the bold statement that's about to pass my lips. "...let's make love."

I think Julius is a little shocked to hear _me_ say that, but he recovers quickly wit a sly smile. "Good girl," he says, taking my hand. "Come on..."

Next thing I know, I've kicked off my shoes and gone to sit cross-legged on the bed. Julius joins me in the same fashion, watching eagerly as I flip my Grimoire open to the right spell. The symbol is still printed upon the page, frustratingly placed beside a block of unreadable text. _Just concentrate... I'll be able to do it._ For some reason, this seems like it should be as natural as breathing. 

"...ready?"

"If you are."

I nod, and take a deep breath before holding out my hand. I feel him slip his own into mine.

_This spell... it's ancient. Older than I can imagine. In order to reach my full potential, I have to destroy myself and become born anew._

I don't know where these thoughts are coming from, but I slowly but surely feel mana building up on my forehead. 

_Born anew... a new person. A_

_d y a d._

The spell activates.

I feel something hit me hard in the forehead, burning like white fire. My eyes snap open, as does my mouth, a strangled cry coming out of me. I almost fall over, but Julius is gripping my arms, keeping me upright. The pain hits me again and again, going deeper each time, deeper into my very soul. Each time it comes, I feel myself being broken, broken into tiny pieces. "J-J-" I try to say his name, but I can't, I can't even form words. My eyes drift over to his face, and I realize a shocking fact:

He has a mark. Just like mine, right next to star one on his forehead. How is that possible? Did I put it there? It glows in pulses, each time it dims the pain in my own head gets worse. My eyes meet his, and all the sudden I don't see anything else. 

_... Do you feel it to?_

_The pain?_

_No... this... power._

_Who are you?_

_Who are we?_

Everything is fading into white. His eyes come closer, and I feel his hand cup my face. He's coming so close, his forehead is about to press against mine. The pain reaches a fever pitch. 

_I don't know what this is... but it's something we're sharing, right?_

_We... I? Who are you?_

_... I'm..._

_Do I like this?_

All at once, the pain is gone. I'm gone. I can't see anything, not the room, not Julius. All there is... is mana. It's not mine, it's not Julius's... it's something unfamiliar.

_In this world, Magic is everything..._

_Those born without it are forced to suffer._

_I suffered throughout my whole life._

_That man, that peasant, he never gave up._

_My father never gave up on me._

**_And they killed him!_ **

_This can't be okay..._

_I won't forgive you!_

_All this power_

_But I'm not even strong enough to understand it_

_Will I never be strong enough to change_ _a thing?_

_What's the point of being alive?_

_Why are they even alive?_

_Sometimes I don't understand you at all_

_Why do you care so much? Are you really just that good of a person?_

_Why did you go so far? You went through pain, just for me?_

_I'm not alone_

There's someone else here. So close that I can't tell where they start and where I end.

_I want to help you._

_You've already helped me so much._

_You make it easier to face each day._

_I wish I could see you now._

_I..._

_...I_

_love you_

_But even now it hurts_

_I'm going to die..._

_make it stop... before..._

_I forget who I_ _am_

And just as soon as it started, it's over. Julius and I burst apart, and I collapse onto my back, my chest heaving. I still can't see anything, my ears are ringing, and I can taste blood in my mouth.

_That... that was..._

Tears suddenly prick at my eyes, and I start to freak out. _I wasn't stronger at all... whatever that was, it almost killed me! Julius! Is he okay?_

As soon as I come to my senses, I sit up and look around. To my relief, Julius is already sitting up again, bent over staring at me with fear in his eyes. "... you're okay-" he whispers, his voice starting to waver. The mark on his forehead is gone. _Wait... was he not affected by it at all?_ "Oh! Y-your nose is bleeding!"

I reach up and touch my nose, feeding blood once again. I open my mouth to reply, but I cough as the taste of blood gets worse. Julius is instantly on his feet, producing water and a handkerchief out of nowhere. I gladly gulp down the water as he wipes off my face. Everything is finally starting to come back into focus. "...Did it hurt?" he asks quietly, sitting back down next to me on the bed.

"Yeah..." I reply slowly, reaching out and touching his face. "... you're okay?"

He nods, his eyes pooling with... guilt? "...I didn't know... I wouldn't have asked you to use the spell if I knew it was like that..." his voice trails off, and he swallows thickly. "I-I'm sorry!" He suddenly covers his face with his hand, pulling back. "That was stupid! I should have known something was wrong, I didn't understand why you always seemed reluctant, but to think it would be this bad-"

I blink as he spews out words, starting to understand. _While we were like that, for a split second, I knew what he was feeling... this spell isn't just something that allows me to enter his consciousness, it's a spell that shares mana... that pain I felt, that was his mana and mine going between the two of us, faster and faster. But... then he felt that I was in pain, and somehow managed to break it._ My heart tightens, and I do the only thing I can think of: I throw myself right into his arms. 

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to hurt you." He buries his face in my shoulder, squeezing me tightly. "I promise... I'll never let anything hurt you again."

Part of me wants to protest, because how on earth was he supposed to make that happen? I'm a magic knight... getting hurt is in my job description. But the weight of his promise doesn't come from his plausibility... it's something unspoken. An understanding that we have. Despite the pain of that spell, I came out of it understanding something about him, and he came out of it understanding something about me. That's how I knew about his time magic, his grimoire, and the reasons why he sprinted to the peak he stood at today. And he understood why I climbed that tower to save his life, and how my life has constantly began and ended since I was a child. Meeting new people, meeting _him..._ I would do anything to make him realize how much he really helped me, back then. 

During that time... among all the pain, the only comfort was the feeling of another body, wrapped around my own, reminding me that I wasn't alone. _We_ weren't alone.

_I am your grandparents... is that what they meant, then?_

Julius pulls back, hands coming up to cup my face, his lavender eyes gazing into mine. "... I love you, you know that?"

"Yes. I do."

He raises an eyebrow, his familiar smile finally coming back onto his face. "...and?"

I can't help but giggle, glad that the tense moment is over. "And I love you too, Julius."

I lean in and press my lips against his gently, leaning into his touch as he wraps his arms around me. He rolls over, pulling us both down to the covers, cradling my head as he rests me against the pillow. Eventually, he pulls back to look down at my face. "...let's forget about that spell for now," he whispers. "I want to forget about everything."

"Me too-" I agree. For some reason, I don't feel flustered or nervous at all, despite the fact that he's hovering on top of me. 

"Good. No more pain." He leans in and starts to kiss down my neck. "Let me make you feel good, instead."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah so don't read the next chapter if you don't want to, it's not relevant to the plot lol


	27. (***)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Uhhh idk what to even call this chapter, so just enjoy I guess lol

After that frightening experience, I would normally find it extremely hard to relax. Both Julius and I had taken a pretty deep dive into some weird ancient magic, and the realization of how uncomfortable it was for me was a traumatic one for both of us. However... I forget about all that the moment his hand slides down under my skirt. "What are you doing?" I mumble against his feverish lips. We've been kissing like this for a couple minutes now so I guess he's decided that it's time to move on. He moved his body closer to mine, nudging my legs apart with his hips, so now I can't squeeze them together as his hand slides up the inside of my thigh. 

He drowns my concerns out with another deep kiss, choosing to not reply to keep me in suspense. Part of me feels lucky that he's the one... taking care of me right now, but being with someone much more experienced is also kind of intimidating. Without much warning, his fingers suddenly brush between my legs, coaxing a soft whine from my lips. He finally pulls back to look down at me, completely unfrazzled. "... no one's ever touched you here before, have they?" It's hard for me to keep looking into his eyes as he says that so casually. He applies a little pressure, causing me to wiggle my hips helplessly. "I see... good." 

With that, Julius slides his hand up farther, grabbing onto the hem of my tights. Without much hesitation, he tugs them down, and I feel my underwear go with it. "Ah! Already?" I mumble, squeezing my eyes shut. I feel a soft kiss on my face and open my eyes to see him smiling down at me reassuringly. "Don't worry... I'm going to take my time. I just want you naked right now."

 _Right now._ There's a hint of a command in that phrase, and I can't help but feel a spike of excitement in my core. Without really thinking about it, I reach up and start undoing the buttons on my shirt, my hands trembling and fumbling as I do so. Julius sits back and watches, his eyes glinting slightly with every new inch of revealed skin. I eventually discard the garment. At this point, he decides to help me, pulling off the skirt along with my tights, leaving me completely naked before him. My face is burning, but not with shame, as his eyes drift over me, taking everything in. 

"... you're so beautiful." 

His words are barely a whisper, but I hear him loud and clear. Once again, he leans in to kiss me, his tongue pushing its way inside my mouth as his hand grabs my breast, giving it a squeeze. His skin feels so good against mine, sending more and more arousal through my body. After a moment, he flops down beside me and wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me against his chest. The fabric of his clothing feels strange against my bare skin, the contrast sending more shivers through me. He hums lowly in my ear, pressing his hips against my ass. I immediately feel something rock hard press against me through his pants, causing a whimper to leave my lips. I try and grind against him a little, but I'm stilled by a firm hand on my hip. "... I know you want it," Julius teases me lowly. "But I'm going to have to get you ready for it, okay?"

I nod in response, not really able to form coherent words. Every inch of my body is screaming to be touched and ravaged right now, but Julius has almost perfect self control. He knows exactly where to touch me, too, when his hand slides back down between my legs, long fingers finding the perfect spot immediately. I moan softly at the feeling, his heavy hand on my waist keeping me still as he continues to rub me with a steady, firm pace. His lips attach to my shoulder, kissing and sucking gently as I slowly but surely come undone against him. It happens a lot quicker than I expect, but my body suddenly starts to spasm with pleasure.

"That's it. Cum for me, sweet-"

He doesn't have to say it twice. His fingers don't stop moving, just slowing down as he coaxes me through the first orgasm. My shaking hands clutch at his arm, my hips bucking against his hand. 

It's definitely not over, though. Right in the middle, he suddenly slips two fingers down, prodding around my dripping entrance before pushing inside. I whimper at the feeling, struggling in his tight grasp as he starts to massage my pulsing walls. "J-Julius- I-I already-"

"Shh, I know, I know," he whispers back, his lips drifting up my neck. I'm dangerously stimulated right now, but his soft, comforting voice immediately forces me into submission. "You looked so cute when you came for me, so I want to see it again, alright?"

There it was again, that soft yet demanding tone that never failed to turn me on. I moan my agreement, and he starts to thrust his fingers gently. Even just the two are stretching me, so much so that he has a little trouble moving them at first. But it doesn't take long for him to speed up. He lets out a soft groan in my ear. "So tight..." he whispers, bucking his hips against me in an attempt to pleasure himself as well. "I can't wait to stretch you open, it's going to feel so good~"

Ah! His words once again send me into a flustered panic, and I have to will myself to calm down a bit among all the pleasure. _Calm down... be more confident. I'm about to have sex with him... that's impressive!_ Feeling a bit bolder, I rub my hips back into his, matching his rhythm and drawing a satisfied grunt from his lips. "You like this?"

"I love it," I reply breathlessly, feeling my next orgasm coming fast. "I-I'm close-"

"Good," his movements speed up, finally driving me over the edge for the second time. I allow myself to be louder this time, crying out his name and arching my back as he slows down and eventually pulls his fingers out of me. "How was that?"

I simply smile and let out a satisfied sigh. My body is still trembling all over, and I feel a bit chilly now that he's let go of me. I roll over onto my back to see that Julius is sitting up, pulling off his clothes as quickly as he can. My breath catches in my throat as I see him shirtless for the first time. He's surprisingly muscular yet still nice and lean. His eyes meet mine as he starts to undo his pants, and I try not to stare as he pulls them off. "...see something you like?" he teases, no ounce of shame in his voice. 

As a matter of fact, I do. He discards his pants, completely naked. I always got flustered seeing him just without his robe, this is a whole other level. He's... large. I should have expected that. "Hello? Anyone in there?" His voice draws me out of my stupor. "I'll take that as a yes," he teases, crawling back on top of me. 

He kisses me again, slowly, and I let my hands come up and drift over his body, feeling his strong arms and chest. The feeling of his skin against mine is electric, something both intimate and incredibly comforting. One of my hands slides down, my fingers softly coming into contact with the erect cock that's pressed against my stomach. Julius lets out a surprised sound but leans into my touch, opening his eyes halfway to gaze down at me. Despite feeling a bit embarrassed, I stare right back, managing to mirror his easy smile. I feel so unexpectedly... relaxed right now.

His gaze slowly starts to fog up with lust as he finally reaches his limit. "Spread your legs," he orders quietly, one hand coming up to cup my face. I nod and quickly obey him, letting his hips start to nestle against mine. "Good girl," he praises, propping himself up a bit to take one last sweep of my body. "... you sure about all this?"

"Yeah," I reply, giving him a reassuring smile. "Please... I want you so bad."

Julius chuckles, his lips curling into a sly smile. "Good..." Finally, he leans in to press his hips into mine. I feel his cock slip between my folds, just the head, then suddenly it's filling me up, sliding deep inside in one smooth movement. I gasp at the feeling, my body arching up against his. He freezes, his grip on me relaxing a bit. "Sorry! I didn't-"

"I-It doesn't hurt-" I quickly, breathlessly assure him. "It's j-just... really big-" 

Julius sighs in relief, blushing a bit at the comment. "Alright..." Without another pause, he pushes in the rest of the way. It's unlike anything I've ever felt before, I can feel every twitch and movement that he makes inside me, penetrating deeper than I thought was even possible. It takes me a moment to relax, and Julius takes that as his cue to move. He's gentle at first, like I'm some delicate thing that he's trying so very hard not to break. He lets out a soft moan as he glides in and out, burying his face into the crook of my neck. He mumbles something along the lines of _feels good_ but at this point neither of us are thinking clearly. 

I start to move my hips against his, matching his rhythm, which encourages him to speed up. He props himself up on his elbows so he can look down at me, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. My hands grip his strong arms, feeling the muscles ripple with every thrust. It's so incredibly hot, seeing him like this, thrusting into me harder and harder. A jolt of pleasure rocks my body, causing my grip to tighten around him. He clenches his jaw, willing himself to stay strong and not get instantly lost in the growing cloud of lust that both of us are in right now. I run a hand through his hair, watching it become progressively more disheveled with each passing moment. There's pride burning along with the lust in my core; _I'm_ the one who gets to see him, the straight-laced and noble Wizard King, lose all of his inhibitions and just let loose. 

"Fuck..." The curse is unexpected but not unwelcome. Julius crashes his lips back into mine, kissing me hungrily as he starts to get a bit frenetic. "...I love you..." I gasp out, feeling myself getting closer. "Julius!"

"I love you... god-" His arms wrap around me, pressing his chest back down onto mine as he races towards his release. Mine crashes down on me at that exact moment. I cry out and clench down, ripples of pleasure moving through me. He's not far behind, letting out one last moan before he releases, emptying himself inside me. He thrusts a few more times before slowing to a stop, his body going limp on top of mine. 

We lay like that for a long time, catching our breaths and coming down from our shared high. That was incredible... I don't even know how to describe it. 

Finally, Julius sits up and wipes his forehead off, still panting a bit as his eyes flicker down to me, a lazy smile on his face. "...you liked it?"

"Mhmm," is all I'm able to summon, my chest rising and falling with each breath. "...did you?"

"Of course." He reaches down to brush my hair out of my face, his fingers soft and tender of my skin. "I've been dreaming of that for a long time... you surpassed my expectations."

I raise an eyebrow at that. "Oh? You actually thought it would be bad?"

"No, no!" He quickly backtracks, but pauses when I giggle at his face. "Ah. You're teasing me. Very, very funny." He can't help but grin stupidly, crawling back beside me and pulling me into his arms. I close my eyes and nestle my head into his chest, where I can hear his heartbeat. He's so warm... so strong... I never want to let go of him ever again. 

He cards his fingers through my hair, gazing down at my exhausted form. "...I have a confession to make," he suddenly says, his voice soft. He's starting to get sleepy, too. "... I haven't had sex since I became the Wizard King."

My eyes widen at the fact. "Really? Isn't that like almost a year?"

"Yeah..." Julius lets out a playful groan. "I haven't had time! This is a hard job, you know."

"I know." I plant a kiss on his chest. He only has a little bit of blonde hair growing there, right between his ribs. The rest of his skin is soft and smooth. "But you have time now?"

"I found someone worth making time for."

Aww. I blush a little and look up at him drowsily to see his eyes shining with adoration. My stomach does a backflip. No matter how many times we're together, I'll never get over the way he looks at me. "...thank you."

"No," he leans down and presses his lips against my forehead, right above my mark. "Thank _you._ For everything, love."

He pulls the heavy covers over us after that, and we both drift off to sleep, utterly content, satisfied, and in love. 


	28. the new challenge (**)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, first of all, I reached 100 kudos and 1000 hits in the same day!!! Thank you guys so much for all of the support! I love reading your comments and I feel so inspired whenever I remember that you all are actually enjoying this. Thanks again, you have a LOT more to look forward to, don't worry :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I got tired of playing the pronoun game so I gave uncle a name instead of just calling him "the man" and "he" all the time lmao. Say hello to Mikal!
> 
> 2\. I'm probably going to need a few days after this to plan the rest of the story (the next 'arc' is still evading me even though I have the one after completely planned out). When in doubt just add more smut chapters? Lol up to you guys.
> 
> 3\. I'm so sorry that this ended up being a fluff chapter (like the third one in a row), I promise that the next few will be really exciting and involve more characters!
> 
> 4\. Also I couldn't decide on a chapter name so take this angsty sounding one lol

_"... you have_ got _to be kidding me!"_

 _Mikal was angrier than he had ever been in his life. He paced back and forth in his chambers, feet clicking against the marble floor. It was late at night, way too late. He had planned to get a good night's sleep tonight, but was rudely woken up by a pounding, earsplitting headache. The symbol on his forehead was resonating, and there were only two possibilities as to why: One, his parents were meddling with him and the others, or two..: his niece was trying to cast the dyad spell once again. Unfortunately, something in his gut told him it was the latter._ _"Did it have to be so late at night, too? Grr..."_

_The doors swung open, and the two of them finally entered the room. Mikal turned to glare at them. All things considered, this could have ended a lot worse than it did. If his niece had actually managed to fully synchronize this time, she could have inadvertently destroyed the dyad that already existed. And if that happened... well, his plans would have fallen apart. A quick sweep of the mana in the tower told him that his parents were still together. However, they had some explaining to do. "She did it again!" he snapped at them. "Didn't you assure me that she wouldn't?"_

_The two stood there, hand in hand, staring blankly at him with their glowing eyes for a moment before speaking. "... I had every reason to assume she wouldn't. The first time ended badly. I never thought-"_

_"Well, she_ did _do it again! For like five minutes! In the middle of the goddamn night, no less!" Mikal cut in. "If she keeps this up, she'll become more of a problem than she already is, and that's saying a lot."_

_"She's still a long way off," they replied, unaffected by the rude way their son spoke to them. "For some reason, she cast the spell on the same person from before. That was the main problem."_

_That fact made Mikal the most uneasy. He didn't know much about the Clover Kingdom, but his parents informed him that his niece had joined some group called the magic knights, a group of powerful mages who protected the kingdom. Whoever she cast the spell on... they had so much mana, Mikal felt sick just thinking about it. The presence of the new dyad was felt by every single person with a mark on their body, and they could be affected by it. If she actually managed to synchronize with this person... it would be bad._

_However, this is what gave him a bit of reassurance as well. Each person is born with the capacity to hold a certain amount of mana. If you pulled too much mana into your body, it would harm, or even kill you. Maybe she learned her lesson this time. He needed her alive, after all. She was the only matured person with the mark on her head, it would be years before they got a replacement. If they were going to act, it had to be now. Just a few more months... that's how long she needed to last._

_Mikal let out a shuddering sigh, closing his eyes. The pain was finally fading away, leaving only the memory of discomfort. His temper died down with it. "Let me know if there's any more developments. Keep a close eye on her, as usual."_

_"Of course." His parents turned around and walked out of sight to do whatever it was they did all day. Even after so, so many years, Mikal didn't exactly understand them. He understood everything else about his culture and the powers of his people... but the dyad eluded him. It was weird... but he didn't question it. They had extraordinary power, something he could use in exchange for this safe haven while everything was prepared. It was going well, until now at least. On top of that, they didn't demand anything of him. The two of them didn't sleep, they didn't eat, they just wandered around hand and hand, completely contained within their mind. They didn't even look at each other, but they never let go._

_And now, his niece attempted to form her own. She didn't even know what she was doing, did she? Mikal's entire future was in her hands..._ _and she had no idea. All of this could have been avoided if his brother had been caught earlier. Once he passed out of the Diamond Kingdom, there was no way they would have been able to track him down. On top of all that, he_ somehow _managed to conceive a kid, which was mind-boggling on its own. Nevertheless, that slip up might work in their favor in the long run._

_Just... a little longer. That's all they needed._

* * *

The bed is still warm when I wake up in the morning. I immediately roll over and search blindly for a body next to me, but find nothing. I open my eyes and confirm my findings: Julius is gone. Letting out a disappointed whine, I close my eyes for a moment longer, balling the sheets up around me. They feel smooth and against my naked body, quickly reminding me of the events of the night before. My eyes pop open again as my face heats up, but I'm smiling now. _Hehe! Look at this... waking up in an unfamiliar bed. Scandalous!_

Knowing that I won't be able to fall asleep again, I finally sit up and look around. A quick glance at the clock tells me that it's 9:30am, way later than I usually sleep. Not that it matters, I have the day to myself anyway. Julius is not anywhere in the room, but his robe is gone so I assume that he's attending to official Wizard King business. My palm splays out over the sheets next to me, where I had last seen him. _What a nice night... I wish he was here right now-_ I shake my head to snap out of it. At this point, I notice that there's a folded piece of paper sitting on the nightstand on his side of the bed. I quickly reach out and pick it up, opening it a little too eagerly. 

_Good morning! Sadly, duty calls, but I'll be back as soon as I can. Someone has to keep Marx at bay! In the meantime, make yourself comfortable, I'll have breakfast made for us. Just don't put your clothes back on._

_\- Julius_

He doesn't even have to be physically present to turn me on anymore, it seems. I quickly fold the note back up and set it down. He said he'd be back soon, so the best option for me is to just hang out around here. Not that there's much to do... but I haven't seen the bathroom yet. That's a good place to start. 

I shiver a bit in the cold air as I slip out of bed, carefully making my way to the bathroom. It's modest, like the rest of his room, with a long counter facing a mirror and a large bathtub in the corner, pushed up against a tasteful window. The view is almost as good as the one in his bedroom. Since I have the time, I turn on the bath faucet to start filling it with water. In the meantime, I use the toilet and take a few minutes to admire my naked body in the mirror, something I don't usually do. However, for some reason... I look irresistible this morning. 

The bath feels nice when I finally sink down into it, and I take a moment to examine the line of various soaps and fragrances on the side. A lot of them seem to be unopened, and I have a feeling that's because Julius mostly uses the shower, that man probably doesn't have time to take baths all that much. I pick one of the subtler ones and add a bit to the water, leaning back to watch as it foams up to coat the surface. _He needs to relax sometimes... He could join me in here if he gets back soon enough._ I glance over at the entrance to his bedroom, expecting him to be back any minute now. _He'll walk in here, see me all wet... then take off his clothes..._ the scene in my head is startlingly clear, and I let out an embarrassed squeak and cover my face, even though I'm alone. 

Well, he doesn't show up, at least for a while. I sadly wash myself, scrubbing my skin. Some parts of it are tender, but not painfully so, especially around my neck. I rinse off all the soap and finally get out. I don't want my fingers and toes to end up looking like raisins after all. The air is kind of chilly now that I'm out of the water, but I grab one of his puffy towels and dry myself off. 

My stomach growls, surprising me. This was a problem I hadn't really thought about for a while, but now that I was alone... it didn't take a genius to figure out that something was up with my appetite. I would go days without feeling even an inkling of hunger. It's not like I wasn't eating at all, I still ate at mealtimes, but I never felt like I _needed_ to. But now, it's somehow comforting to feel a pang of hunger this morning. If only Julius would come back and get us breakfast. Just as I think that, I hear the bedroom door swing open. "Hello?"

"I'm in here!" I call back, wrapping the towel around myself just in time for Julius to peek in through the door. He looks like he took the time to groom himself this morning, not a single hair on his head out of place. He also looks exceptionally well-rested, despite how late we stayed up. His eyes widen a little when he notices that I'm wearing just the towel, his mouth reflexively melting into a grin. _Uh oh, I'm in danger!_ "...how did it go?"

"How did what go?" He's distracted for a moment before blinking. "Oh! Fine. Something urgent had to be done, before the King wakes up," Julius finishes with a chuckle. "What about you? You took a bath without me?" he teases.

I sniff indignantly. "You can't expect me to wait around forever, you know!" I shoot back playfully. Julius takes that as a challenge as is almost immediately wrapping his arms around me. "Ah! Be careful!" I hold onto him to keep from slipping on the tile, my face heating up again. He's dressed in all his usual finery while I'm, well, not really dressed in anything. The contrast is kind of hot, though...

"I'm sorry that I neglected you~" he chides, peppering the side of my face with kisses. "I was going to wake you up, but you looked too cute when you were asleep. You read my note?"

I nod, squirming a little as his hands slide down my sides over the towel. He pulls back a little, his eyes glinting mischievously. "Didn't tell you... not to put clothes on?" Oh boy. He's lowered his voice to a sultry whisper, and I feel it vibrate through his chest. 

"I-I didn't," I respond finally, feeling my legs get pressed against the edge of the counter. I didn't even notice the force of him pushing me, it's so gentle. "This is-"

"A towel, I can see that." My hands instinctively tighten on the towel. His body is warm on my chilly skin, tempting me to just throw the garment away. "It's blocking my view." He leans back in to kiss me, his hands moving up to grab my wrists. I only protest for a moment before letting him break my grip on the towel, which falls to the ground and is quickly forgotten. His kisses get rough, his hands attempting to touch every inch of me. I remember what he told me last night, that he had been going through a dry spell lately, which explains the near-desperate way he's clutching at me now. I'm not about to refuse the request that I know is coming, that comes as soon as he breaks his lips away for just a moment. "...turn around."

Fuck fuck fuck that's hot. I let myself catch a breath before obeying, my heart racing. It doesn't help that I can see my reflection now, and just how flustered I am. I avert my eyes from my own, but Julius is taking his sweet time looking at the view. "...Pretty..." he mumbles, his hands drifting over my front as he rests his chin on my shoulder, chest pressing into my back. "Is it just me, or do you look particularly irresistible this morning?"

I can't help but giggle at those words in response, since the same thought went through my head earlier this morning. "Don't tease me!"

Julius hums in amusement, but a moment later I feel one of this hands gently encircle the back on my neck, causing me to press my thighs together in anticipation. He wants me as much as I want him, and now he's about to push me over and take me again, I just know it. I want him, I want him so bad-

Just as my chest presses against the counter, we freeze as we hear a voice coming from Julius's communicator in the other room. "Lord Julius! We have a major problem. The King has woken up and is demanding your presence immediately!"

Julius releases a frustrated groan and lets go of me reluctantly. I quickly sit up and watch as he strides over to the other room and picks up his communicator. "Right now? He's three hours earlier than usual!"

"I know," Marx replies, his voice strained. "I'm sorry about this, but it's important apparently."

Julius glances back at my for a moment, his eyes narrowing, before he lets out a heavy sigh. "Alright. I'll be right down." He closes the device and looks at me apologetically. "I know we were supposed to have this day to ourselves, but we might have to wait a bit longer." 

"It's okay." I move over to him and let him take my hand, running my fingers over his smooth palm. He smiles appreciatively at the gesture. "I have the day off, maybe I could help you with some stuff? That way it gets done quicker."

Julius's eyes light up. "You don't mind?"

I shake my head. "Not at all!"

"Wonderful. Thank you." He swoops in for a kiss, which was supposed to be quick until he doesn't let go of my face. I struggle and manage to get out of his arms. "Julius! Don't get distracted!"

He laughs sheepishly. "Sorry. Sorry! You should get dressed though... you're going to just distract me even more."

I quickly pull on the clothes from last night and follow him out down the hallway. We reach a junction and he pauses to look at me one last time. "You know the way to my office by now, right?" I nod quickly, prompting an affable smile from Julius. "Good... I'll bring breakfast up there. Marx should be around if you need anything."

"Sounds good!" I wave before turning and walking off my own way, up to his office. There's a piece of paper laying on his desk, scribbled almost unintelligibly. I examine it for a moment and realize that it's an agenda, definitely written out by Marx. _At least there's a concrete list of things to work through, instead of a never ending pile. Marx must know how to portion things each day._ I sit down in Julius's chair and quickly discover a problem: the first chunk of work almost exclusively involves his signature. _Unless I forge his signature, nothing is going to get done._ Feeling determined, I pull out a blank sheet of paper and one of his completed documents to start practicing. 

About 15 minutes into it, Julius reappears, Marx right behind him. The two of them are whispering about something, and I immediately sense that something is off. Julius looks grim, his smile not even returning when he looks over at me. "Hungry?" he asks, not waiting for an answer before turning back to Marx. "Breakfast, please, all this nonsense has me starving."

Marx opens his mouth to object to the sudden order, but loses the will to do so halfway in. "Of course, sir." He glances at me for a moment, only a shred of surprise showing on his face as he notices that I'm still wearing the same outfit as last night. "I'll be right back." He turns, his cape flaring out dramatically, and disappears from sight.

Julius doesn't say anything, just trudges over to the desk and sits down on the edge of it, facing away from me. I noticed lately that he always had a bad mood after talking to Augustus, but right now... this seemed more serious. I momentarily wonder if I should say anything about it, not wanting to make things worse or anything. Cautiously, I put down my pen and reach out, my hand sliding on top of his own. He doesn't react at first, but eventually turns his head to look down at me. "... you okay?" I ask quietly. 

His eyes still have that glassy, far off look to them, as if he was only physically present in the room. Slowly, he gives me a nod, his gaze focusing. "Yeah..." Julius sighs again and scoots over to face towards me, reaching down to brush some hair out of my face absent-mindedly. "Somewhat." He allows a small chuckle to escape his throat. "Just got some bad news, that's all. Don't worry about it."

Despite his assurance, I'm still worried, but he distracts me when he looks down at the document I'm working on. "That... that's an excellent forgery," he compliments, his eyes widening. "I didn't even have to teach you! Impressive." I grin at the praise, leaning into his touch as he ruffles my hair a bit. "We'll be done in no time!"

With that, he somehow manages to slide into the seat next to me to start working. It's a tight fit, but not uncomfortable. It's so comfortable, in fact, that we end up getting a little frisky with each other but are forced to stop as soon as Marx comes back. Luckily, he's carrying breakfast so we can forgive him. Coffee, bagels, fruit, the whole works. He excuses himself after that, allowing us to get back to work. 

Julius was right, the work goes by a lot quicker with the two of us working on it. Now that I know his signature, there's essentially two Wizard Kings instead of one, and we plow through the work like it's nothing. A paperwork machine, that's what we are! 

"Done!" He slams the last paper down on the desk with excessive force, causing me to jump in my seat. "I wish I could have you here all the time!" He smiles and looks over at me. "When do you have to be back?"

"Tomorrow morning," I inform him. "I might have to train early, though, so I should probably be home by tonight." The last few words are tinged with regret, but it's the truth: I'm just as much a Magic Knight as I am his girlfriend.

"Tonight... hmmm." Julius furrows his brow. "I have to meet with the King over dinner anyway, I'll bring you home before then. That gives us..." He glances at the clock, reading 12.30pm. "...about five hours!"

I go a little pale. "F-five hours?" Sure, spending time with him is nice, but five hours?! I'm only worried because I'm assuming he wants to be... intimate the entire time. He doesn't seem to pick up on that, though, and just lets out a hearty laugh. "Come on, before Marx finds something else for us to do." I protest for a moment as he scoops me up like I'm nothing, before leaving the room and our stack of finished paperwork behind. 

Five blissful hours later, I've definitely reached my limit. I'm exhausted, left panting for breath, my arm slung over my eyes as I lay there completely spent. _Julius... you're a demon!_ While I've slowly but surely gotten more and more tired, he just drinks a glass of water after each time and is ready to start again. Not that I'm complaining in the least... I'm glad to have this time, for just the two of us to indulge in each other after waiting around so much. But by now even he seems worn out, so we just lay there together in a pile, grateful for the cool breeze coming in through the window. 

I stir slightly and open my eyes to see him staring up at the ceiling blankly, a small scowl on his face as his hand aimlessly runs over my hair. _He's thinking about it again... whatever happened this morning. He'll be meeting with the king about it soon, right?_ "...Everything alright?"

He blinks owlishly before turning over to look down at me cryptically. He opens his mouth, pauses to reconsider his words, then finally speaks. "...you can't tell a soul about what I'm about to say, alright?"

Panic shoots through me. "W-w-wait a minute! You don't have to tell me anything top secret, in fact you definitely shouldn't, I was just asking in general-"

To my surprise, Julius's serious expression breaks and he chuckles. "But I want to-" he counters playfully. "Come on, I trust you."

I give in and nod slowly, curiosity taking over. "So... what is it?"

Julius takes a deep breath in through his nose before replying. "... we received an ultimatum from the Diamond Kingdom this morning... they're finally going to make a move, it seems."

My eyes widen at the news. That _was_ serious! "An ultimatum? What do they want?"

"They gave us a list of towns on the border for us to hand over. If we don't, they're going to take everything by force."

Towns on the border... My heart starts to pound. "...is my-"

"Yes."

He reads my mind, confirming my fears. _My town... my family... they're in danger!_ I gulp nervously, drawing in a shaky breath. "...is there a plan?"

Julius scowls again, and I quickly backtrack. "Sorry, I didn't mean-"

"No, no, it's not you. Sorry." His arms snake around my waist and draw me closer to him tenderly. "It's that fool Augustus... he wants to draft a response stating that the towns will be defended, but then not actually allocate the resources to defend them!" he tells me, his voice starting to get irritated at the thought. "He says it would be too many steps towards war..."

 _War._ I remember what Augustus said before about Julius, that the Wizard King has the same power as the King during times of war. But surely, if it was to defend from invasion, war could end this conflict for good, rather than letting it drag on and on for years. "...so... _you're_ the one who decides Magic Knight movements, right?"

He nods. "Yeah, but Augustus ordered me to not station additional Magic Knights in any of those towns-"

"Then don't. Just... don't _station_ them... if you send out frequent enough patrols, it'll be enough to dissuade attacks. If the King is going to make a threat, it means nothing until it's backed up with actions, yeah?"

He considers my statement, finally nodding. "That way, even if there is an attack, we can get backup in there a lot more quickly," he adds. "Not a bad idea at all... a little underhanded."

"Loopholes."

He laughs a little at that and leans over to kiss my temple. "You're right... I need to find ways to work around this guy."

We lay there for a couple more minutes before finally getting up to go. I sluggishly pull my clothes back on, turning around to watch him do the same. I'm sad to leave, but duty calls, and anyway, I got to spend a long time with him. It's hard to believe that the Star Festival was just yesterday! "This way, my dear." He opens the window and helps me out as well before we shoot off into the sunset.

And so marks the end of an interesting two days. I still have many questions about my mark, but they're pushed to the back of my mind by the new challenge ahead of us. 

_My town and my family could be in danger. All that other stuff can wait._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time... chapter 29: the homecoming. Life goes on like normal, but MC's knowledge of the upcoming invasion weighs her down. However, an opportunity arises to go back home and demonstrate exactly how far she's come.


	29. the homecoming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Yay okay I finally figured out this arc, so updates will go back to normal times
> 
> 2\. Enjoy!

By the time I reach my room, I'm about ready to collapse even though it's not even 6 pm yet. I'm not feeling especially hungry, so an early bedtime sounds pretty great right about now. However, when I finally drag my feet into the room, I pause, surprised to see Alana packing some stuff. One moment later, and I realize that it's _my_ stuff! "... what's going on?" I ask, perplexed. 

Alana straightens up and gives me a smile. "Didn't Fuegoleon tell you? Since you're an intermediate knight, you get your own room now!"

I blink, letting that fact sink in. As a matter of fact, I do vaguely remember him saying that yesterday. "Oh... sorry! I could have packed myself," I start to apologize. 

Alana waves my worries away. "It's not a big deal! Fuegoleon told me to, anyway," she replies "Most of it is done by now, so we can move you over tonight!"

 _My own room..._ I haven't had a room to myself since I worked at the inn, more than 6 months ago. I feel a bit bad leaving Alana behind, but this means that she gets the room to herself as well, so it works out in the end. "...there's something I wanted to ask you about though." Her serious tone draws me out of my thoughts. _Uh oh._ "I was packing your things, and I accidentally knocked over this box." She holds up the small container and my blood runs cold. _That's... that's where I keep all my letters from Julius!_ Most if them are short, but it's incriminating all the less. "...they all spilled out, and I couldn't help but see some of them as I repacked them."

 _Shit shit shit._ _How am I going to explain this-_

Alana's eyes light up. "You have a boyfriend?!?! Why didn't you tell me? How long have you been seeing him?" She holds up one of the letters, and I realize a comforting fact: Julius never even signed his full name on them, he just wrote a simple J at the end. "Who is this _J_ guy anyway?" Alana demands, not giving me time to answer any of her previous questions. "Is he in the squad?"

I shake my head, finally starting to calm down. "He's not... he, uh, he works in the castle. I go see him at the library all the time, since I do a little work over there."

Alana's eyes widen. "A library romance... eek!" She grins. "Look at you... but-" She furrows her brow. "I was almost _certain_ that there was something between you and Fuegoleon."

My ears heat up. "Oh... why's that?"

"Well, first of all, he was in your room late at night, not once, but twice."

 _Twice?! I know for a fact she saw Julius the first time, but she was on a mission the second time._ "He was in your room at like 2 am on the night of my first mission, and then someone told me they saw him go into your room the other night and not come out." She raises an eyebrow. "Was that pre-J? Or..."

_I see. She has some spies._

"That _was_ J." I don't know why I blurt this out, but I'm just going to roll with it at this point. "H-h-he has transformation magic! Please don't tell anyone, I'll get in so much trouble!" I practically beg her. We aren't allowed to have visitors in our rooms and I feel bad for going behind Alana's back with all this... but if the secret gets out, I'm afraid that Julius will get mad at me. 

Luckily, Alana lets out a soft laugh. "Look at you. All this time I thought you were some straight-laced girl, when you've been sneaking around here with some guy!" She shakes her head a little. "Don't worry... your secret is safe with me."

"...Thank you, Alana." I let out a sigh of relief. "Here, let me help you."

With that crisis now averted, we finish packing up all my stuff. I don't have much so it only takes one trip to carry it all to my new room. I may have carried a little too much by myself, though, and almost go tumbling down the stairs under the weight. Luckily, two of the older members of the squad, Ben and Ruben, show up just in time to help us. Before I know it, Alana is saying goodnight and closing the door, leaving me alone in my new room. It's about half the size of my previous one, but larger than the one I dwelled in at the inn. The bed is pushed up against the window just how I like it to be, and I note that there's really good roof access. _This is right below the senior knights area, though,_ I think to myself. _Fuegoleon's room is close by. If Julius comes to visit, he better be careful to not be seen!_

But here I am; new room, new day, new rank... I don't feel much different, but maybe that's because I'm distracted by what Julius told me earlier today. _A list of towns for us to hand over to the Diamond Kingdom, including my own. How long are they going to wait? Will they see through Augustus's bluff? Or will this lead to something really bad..._

Those thoughts continue to trouble me until I finally drift off to sleep. 

* * *

And just like that, a month passes by. Life goes back to normal somewhat. I continue to juggle the several moving parts of my life, writing letters to Lyra all the while. She told Portia and the others about me and Julius when they got home, and apparently it was so shocking that my aunt actually passed out. She also mentioned that my mother actually had a smile on her face when she heard. _Maybe I actually managed to make her proud..._

Something about that still doesn't sit right with me, so I ignore it. 

"Hey? What's the matter?"

I jolt awake as I hear my name called and a hand shakes my shoulder. I snap up into a sitting position, mind foggy, and look around. The annoyed face of Fuegoleon comes into focus as I look up at him. "Oh... sorry!" I didn't even realize that I had fallen asleep where I sat in the mess hall, right next to my untouched plate of food. "How can I help you?"

He stares at me for a moment before letting out a rattling sigh. "The Captain wants to see you. Apparently there's a mission."

Now _that_ wakes me up. A mission meant accomplishment, and accomplishment meant more stars! We're all still riding on the high from the last Star Festival where we scored first place, and we were all eager to hold onto that title. "Right now?" He nods, and I quickly jump up out of my seat to follow him off up the stairs. "Will it be with you?" I let out a yawn, covering my mouth quickly.

"No... I have other things to attend to today," he replies. "You'll be with Gareth, or so the Captain says." I nod along to his words, rubbing my eyes to get the sleep out. That was one reality-transcending nap! Fuegoleon notices that I'm still drowsy. "Are you alright?" he asks, his tone softening a little.

"Yeah, why?" I flash a quick smile up at him, touched that he's concerned for whatever reason.

Fuegoleon shrugs, averting his eyes. "I can't help but notice, you seem very tired lately. We're not overworking you, are we?"

I quickly shake my head, my heart jolting a little. "No, not at all! I like being busy." I gulp, my mind racing. "I just need to... start drinking more coffee. I'm almost twenty, so I'm going to lose my stamina and become an old woman soon!" That last part is a joke, which successfully causes Fuegoleon to chuckle and move on from the subject.

In reality, I was kept up last night by none other that the Wizard King, who decided that, since I have my own room now, he can just come by whenever he wants. He ignored not one, not two, but _three_ calls from Marx, and I basically had to push him out the window to get him to go do his damn job. I can still remember the image of his pouting face as I drew the curtains closed on him. Serves him right... but there have been fewer close calls with getting caught, so it evens out. Plus, I can't even bring myself to get mad at him... even when I probably should. Showing up unannounced, dragging me away to ungodly places late at night, and forgetting that our relationship is secret and leaving "evidence" all over me (I have basically changed my fashion sense to turtlenecks and nothing else at this point). One time, he paused everything he was doing to grin like an idiot. _"Guess what... Marx is trying to get through to me with the communication spell right now... should I unblock it?"_

I basically had to yell "No!" three times before he started laughing and said it was a joke. God... if he wasn't so handsome, I would have knocked some sense into him by now.

But even if he wasn't... that doesn't change how much I love him.

 _Love..._ It was a strange thing. All my life, I kept my love restrained to only a couple of people, chiefly my father and Lyra. I wasn't used to sharing those things with other people, especially the intensity I feel whenever I even think about Julius. It was scary, almost risky to let myself open my heart like that, but Julius made me feel... safe. And after our experiments with that mysterious spell, I felt like we had an understanding that ran deeper than most couples do. 

We needed each other.

 _"_ Hey, don't fall asleep while we're talking!" 

Once again Fuegoleon had to shake me out of my daydream with a karate chop to the head. Oops! I need to stop zoning out so much. "Sorry!"

We've reached Fernan's office now and make our way inside. Gareth is standing there already, and offers us a friendly smile. Of all the senior knights on the squad, he's the one I spend the most time with (other than Fuegoleon). He takes it upon himself to "instill morals in the youngsters" and became kind of an uncle figure to us all. "There you two are! This is important, so listen carefully."

Fernan pulls out a map of the Kingdom border with the Diamond Kingdom and points to a circled region. "Your mission is just a simple overnight patrol. Stay in this town-" He points at the upper one. "-until midnight, then move to the south until morning." He looks back up at us. "Seems easy enough, right?"

I study the map for a moment, then my eyes light up. "That town to the north... that's my hometown!" I straighten up and grin at Gareth. "We'll be getting a home cooked meal tonight!"

"Ooh, good!" Gareth turns back to our Captain. "If I may ask, though... what's the purpose of this patrol? I thought we didn't deal with those fringe towns unless needed?"

Fernan's gaze hardens a bit. "I'm not sure myself... the Wizard King contacted me and asked me to set up bi-weekly patrols in the area. Apparently he's been having the Silver Eagles do it lately, but they had to move up to deal with some trouble from the Spade Kingdom."

My eyes widen a bit at those words. Of course, I have a bit more than an inkling as to what's going on here. _Julius... he's actually taking my advice? Setting up patrols just to get around the King's orders?_ I feel proud, but also a bit worried. _It was just an idea... I'm no war tactician, I feel like this might be a bit of a gamble..._

"You'll leave by broom tonight," Fernan concludes, handing Gareth the rolled up map and a communicator. "I doubt anything will happen, but someone will receive your message through this if it does."

And with that, we're released, and I head off to my room for a quick nap. We'll have to leave pretty soon, since the town is a good flight away. We'll be there by dinnertime, though, which is the most important part. I can't help but smile at the prospect of seeing everyone. I don't have time to warn them that I'm coming, but I'm sure they'll appreciate the surprise.

Well... most of them will.

It occurs to me right now that I'm going to have to see my mother again. All joy I felt suddenly disappears, leaving a pit of dread in my stomach. The best case scenario here is that she doesn't speak to me at all, but even that doesn't sound very pleasant. I groan and bury my face into my pillow. _If only my family life was normal..._ I sigh and stare up at the ceiling blankly. _I wonder, if she sees me today... will she finally be proud of the woman I've become? It's been almost a year since I left her behind, surely she must have forgiven me by now? Or at least have the capacity to forgive me..._

Maybe that's too much to ask. But a girl can dream!

It starts raining about halfway to the town, forcing me to pull my cloak over my head. It doesn't do much, and soon I'm soaked ro the skin, the raindrops hitting my face like pellets as I fly through the sky on my broom. Wonderful. I squint and spot the forest with the little town placed at it's edge. "That's it! Let's go down!"

Gareth and I land down at the town's center, drawing the attention of the onlookers. "Look! Magic Knights!" Some men run up to us. "Is there a problem? Or danger?"

Gareth shakes his head. "No, not at all! We were ordered here on a patrol, but we'll be gone by nightfall!"

"Ah, I see." One of the men takes a good look at my face. "You... that mark on your head..." his eyes suddenly widen. "Could it be? You're the one who left to become a magic knight, almost a year ago!"

People chatter among each other at the news, and I can't help but feel proud of myself. "Yeah, that's me!" I cross my arms and grin over at them. 

However, I'm surprised to hear the mood suddenly shift to suspicion. 

_"She's the girl Horatio always complained about, right?"_

_"He said she was involved in the incident that crippled his magic... do you think-"_

_"And that mark! It can't be something good. It's got an evil aura..."_

_"She made a deal with the devil, didn't she? Candlestick has never been that powerful."_

It takes me a moment to process all the ill will coming my way, and anger suddenly starts to build up. I open my mouth to yell something obscene when I'm cut off by a familiar voice. "Hey, lay off it! That girl... she's a hero!"

The crowd turns to see Horatio himself standing there. He gives me a little smile before glaring at the others. "She had nothing to do with my accident. If it wasn't for her, me, the King, and the Wizard King would be dead!"

More mutters ripple through the crowd, and they slowly dissipate. Horatio sighs and walks over to us. "Sorry about that... It was shocking to me how close minded they are when I got back," he explained. "How are you?"

I smile, grateful for his welcome. "I'm fine! Very good." I frown. "And... you?"

Horatio shrugs. "...the same. I'm not going to give up, though!" He looks between me and Gareth. "Well, since you're here for dinner, let's get out of the rain and come to the tavern! Your family is there!"

 _Family._ A word that brings forth both joy and unease. I swallow my fear this time. "We're starving!" Gareth agrees. "Lead the way!"

Horatio does just that, and I try to forget my worries as the rain continues to pour down around us. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time, Chapter 30: the unpleasant dinner. While happy to see her family again, bad memories start to resurface and MC decides that coming here was a royally bad idea.


	30. the unpleasant dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Warning?: mentions of past familial abuse. :(
> 
> 2\. Next chapter is an exciting action chapter :)

The tavern hasn't changed much since I was last here a year ago. The windows are frosted with a golden glow, looking very appealing as the rain pours down outside. Horatio quickly opens the door for us, and I finally get to enter the warm, loud room. It's full like it usually is on a night like this, and at first no one really notices us come in. I pull off my hood and shake my head to knock off some water. Strands of my hair are sticking to my face, and I attempt to smooth them back as I wipe my muddy feet on the mat. The pleasant smell of alcohol tangs the air, making my mouth water. 

"OH MY GOODNESS!"

There's only one person who's that loud. I turn just in time to be attacked by a fast, heavy moving object: Portia. "You're here!!! Why didn't you tell us?!?! We would have gone out to welcome you!" She looks over at Gareth, her eyes narrowing. "Who's that? Where's the Wizard King?!"

Oh shit I forgot that Portia now knows about everything. Gareth frowns. "Hmm? The Wiz-"

"This is Gareth! He's a senior knight in our squad," I quickly cut in, already regretting my choice to let Lyra tell everyone. In my defense, I didn't know I would be returning so soon! "We're just on patrol here. We leave for the next town at midnight."

Portia's eyes light up. "Wonderful! Let's get the two of you fed!"

She turns to go find the others, and Gareth glances at me with raised eyebrows. "It's a long story," I tell him before he asks any questions. Fortunately, he doesn't pursue the matter further, and we follow Portia deeper into the tavern. Horatio says farewell for now and walks back off into the rainy night. 

Lyra can't even stand up to greet me, she's so heavily pregnant. "Any day now..." she tells me with a tired smile. Her husband squeezes her shoulder as he holds their one year old in his arms. The sight gives me a pang of longing for my own lover. "Maybe even tonight! I'd love for them to meet you." 

"We can only stay until midnight" I say regretfully. "But I promise I'll come visit after the birth!"

Lyra reaches out and squeezes my hand in her own with a wink. "Right... make sure to keep us updated on your life as well."

I blush a little at her words, then hear Portia laugh. "Definitely! I want to hear all about-"

"Mom!" Lyra shoots a sharp glance at her mother, who falls silent. _Ah, so she did tell them that it's supposed to be a secret. Portia is as bad at keeping secrets as Lyra, though._

"... you..."

Uh oh. I slowly turn around to the source of the voice, my eyes locking onto the face of none other than my own mother. She's just as gaunt yet beautiful as she was 9 months ago, but her eyes don't hold that watery hatred that they did last time I saw her. Instead, they're... numb. Empty. Apathetic. 

I gulp. "...hi... mom."

Her eyes flicker over me, from my outfit, to my cloak, to the mark on my head, and finally back to my eyes. Then, the impossible happens. 

She smiles. 

"Welcome back."

_Welcome back._

There's not even a hint of insincerity in her voice as she looks at me. However, her smile doesn't meet her eyes. Despite my unease, I swallow thickly and manage to smile back. "Thank you... mom."

With that, we sit down to eat some dinner. Compared to the delicacies I ate while in the capital, the food is a bit bland and plain, but still tasty none the less. There's something comforting about eating simple foods like turkey and mashed potatoes, a reminder that not everything in life has to be draped in finery or staunched in mystery. Life can be simple... even if that goal is a long way off, I'm sure my life will be simple one day. However, the smell is not enough to stir my dead appetite, so I opt to sip my beer instead.

"...I love your outfit, by the way!" Lyra compliments, pulling me out of my thoughts. I look over the table at her smiling face. "Where did you get it? The capital?"

"Oh! Yeah, I got this tailored in Kikka," I respond after a beat. "The cape came from Fuegoleon, though."

My fashion sense has changed quite a lot since I first joined the knights. Back then, I kept my outfit fairly simple, just a blue shirt, grey pants, and brown boots. However, as I rose in rank and status, I decided that I needed outfits to look a bit more polished and sophisticated. My favorite was the one I'm wearing today: grey skirt and matching long sleeved shirt with a few light blue accents on it. The cuffs and high collar were fringed slightly, which was much more comfortable than a normal turtleneck. Also, it reminded me of something Julius usually wore. 

"Fuegoleon! He's your captain's son, isn't he?" Portia asked. "You're making some very influential friends out there!" She shoots me a cheeky wink that I ignore.

"I suppose! He's a really great commander, isn't he, Gareth?"

Gareth nods, stuffing his face with food as he does. "Mmmhmm! The 'ery 'est!" he replies, his voice muffled by a mouthful of food before he swallows. "He'll be captain one day for sure! And after him, his little brother, Leo."

"Little brother? How old is Leo?" Lyra asks. The twins are now both very interested in hearing about the kid.

"Oh, he'll be 10 soon!" Gareth replies.

Lyra nods sadly. "Ah... five years older than you two," she says to Pat and Rocco, who both look disappointed. Rocco recovers quickly and looks over at me with wide eyes. "I have a question..."

"Oh? Ask away!" I smile at him as he thinks for a moment, raising my glass of beer to my lips. I don't expect the next few words to come out of his mouth.

"Is the Wizard King going to be our cousin, too?"

I choke and almost spit out my beer. Both Portia and Lyra immediately start to scold the boy, and I take a few seconds to recover. I glance over at Gareth, who's blinking in confusion at me. "..?" I shake my head, willing him to say silent. Luckily, he understands and suddenly stands up. "Hmm... I think I'll go use the bathroom." He smiles and turns to walk out of sight. _Thanks, Gareth!_

"What? I heard you talk about it, mommy!" Rocco whines to Portia. 

"I told you not to talk about it to anyone, alright?" Lyra tells him sharply before looking up at me. "I'm sorry! I promise I told them to keep their mouths shut!"

"Oh... it's fine," I assure her, my heat rate slowing finally. Crisis averted... or so I think. "He's a kid, what do you expect." I look down at Rocco with a smile. "As for your question... maybe."

Portia's mouth forms a perfect "o" at my statement. "My! Look at you!" she teases. "I want to ask about all the details, but your friend is going to be back any minute." She sighs and smiles at me. "I'm glad you're happy, though... we all are. Seeing you succeed and become such a great magic knight..."

"I'm proud of you."

I tense up at the voice as my mother speaks for the first time that day. I turn to look at her to see that she's smiling again. This time, the corners of her eyes crinkle slightly. "...I really am."

... she really just said that, didn't she? The words I had been hoping to hear, hoping from the very deepest recess of my heart...

_S-she's actually proud of me? For the first time in my life..._

I promised myself that I would never care about what my mother thought. Anything I did, I did for myself and no one else. But now... hearing her say that makes everything worth it. Part of me wants to burst into joyful tears at the revelation, but I forced them down with a head blink. _Hold it together... you've shown her that you're strong, that you're more than you used to be! And she's proud of you! PROUD!_

"Mom..." I look back up at her, and, without thinking, hold out three fingers and press them into my chest in a three-leaf salute. "I promise... I'll continue being the Magic Knight that you're proud of!"

My heart soars as her smile widens, and then...

She opens her mouth and lets out a quiet laugh. 

"Magic Knight? Oh, no, no, no. I don't care about that!" She closes her eyes as she smiles. "I'm just so glad... that you found such a fine father for _my_ children."

...

_My..?_

"...What?" My brain is foggy, working as hard as it can to take in the words she's saying. "...what did you just say?"

My mom smiles again, unbothered. "I'm so glad that you found such a fine father for your children!"

 _Your... I thought she said something else? Maybe she did say something else... but I definitely_ heard _it..._

My hand starts to go limp over my heart, all sincerity in my salute fading away. "...Y-you don't care? I... I got promoted so high, though. I've earned so many stars..."

"Yeah, that's all swell!" my mom cuts in at the earliest opportunity. "I heard all about it through your letters! You even save the Wizard King, didn't you? I'm sure that's part of the reason why you managed to lock him in," she continues. "I wish you weren't doing something so dangerous, I wouldn't want you to end up like your father or Horatio! But who better to protect you than Julius Novachrono! I mean-" She chuckles, not noticing my expressionless face. 

_I wanted her to be proud of me, and she_ is... _but why doesn't this feel right? What's this bitter taste in my mouth? Shouldn't I be happy?_

_No... she's proud of the wrong things..._

"-it's almost comical! I guess the universe works in strange ways. But it all works out in the end..." She gazes over at me, seeing only what she wants to see.

"You've turned out to be everything I hoped for."

_..._

_"Honey, you can't just hit her!"_

_"And why not? She's the one who's made my life a living Hell!"_

_I listened to my parents fight through the crack in the kitchen door, holding a wet cloth to the stinging bruise on my cheek._

_"She's just a kid! Jesus Christ,_ she's six! _It's not her fault!"_

_"Then who's fault is it?! Huh? Are you saying that it's mine?!"_

_"No! I'm just saying-"_

_"You ARE! You ARE saying it's my fault, aren't you!"_

_"No!"_

_The fight rages on for a couple more minutes before my mother storms out of the kitchen. I don't have time to get out of the way, and she hits me with the door as she blasts through. There's a rain cloud over her head, literally, formed by her magic. She spares me only one glance before moving out of sight... her eyes are wide, crazed, and deeply pained._

_I sniff and rub my elbow, which got knocked by the door, before walking into the kitchen. My dad is alone, his face buried in his hands as he sits at the table. After a moment, he sighs heavily and looks up, quickly spotting me. "...you heard that?"_

_I nod, tears suddenly starting to drip from my eyes. My father cries out in shock and jumps out of his seat, immediately running to my side. "Ah! Don't cry! It's okay!" My father always started to panic whenever I cried. He wraps his arms around me and picks me up. I bury my face into his shoulder and sob. I don't understand why my mother doesn't love me. I don't understand why she hurt me. And I wouldn't understand for many, many years. All I knew was that there was only person in this world who really, truly loved me with all of their heart. My father, and i never wanted to let go of him._

_After a few minutes of crying and being rocked in his arms, I manage to calm down, hiccuping softly. "...I'm sorry..."_

_"No! Don't you dare say that!" My father's voice doesn't hold any anger... at least none towards me. "There's nothing to be sorry for, I promise, sweetie."_

_"B-but then, why-" I squeeze my eyes shut. "Why isn't she happy? I made her yell at you!"_

_My father winces. "No, no, you didn't do that..."_

_"Then... why..." I bury my face in his shirt again. "...all the kids at school... they're moms are different... What did I do? I want it to stop! I want to make her happy! I want to make you happy!" I start wailing again, my voice breaking all over the place._

_"Hey, look at me..." I raise my head to look at his smiling face, but notice that there's tears in his eyes now. Not tears of anger, or even sadness... tears brought forth by the cosmic injustice of this situation, injustice that that to be shouldered by just one little girl. "If anyone should be sorry, it's me," he tells me softly. He leans forward and presses a kiss to the bruise on my cheek. "One day... I know that you'll make her proud. She'll see that she was wrong. But in the meantime..." He smiles a bit wider, his youthful face almost glowing. "I'll love you enough for the two of us!"_

_I can't help but giggle despite my tears._

_He reaches up and runs a hand over my hair, ruffling it a little bit. "You're going to make so many people proud... but you've always made me proud. From the very beginning."_

_From the very beginning, he never looked at me with anything but pride, joy, and genuine love. Just as a parent should. Those gentle, kind eyes that I miss more and more every single day..._

_..._

"...Of course, you could have gone with a less-risky option. Lyra says you have to keep the whole thing secret, which seems like a bother. I suppose if you rise a few more ranks, the nobles would accept you as his wife, but until then it's going to be hard. But-" My mother doesn't notice that anything is wrong. "-You've already shown that you're capable of the unexpected! I'm sure you'll be able to get out of the Magic Knights soon enough. It won't be long before we can all go live in the castle, haha!"

I don't even know what to say, so I just stare at her silently, anger starting to boil up within me. Lyra and Portia are silent, staring down at their plates with stony faces, they must be feeling the sheer awkwardness of this situation as well.

This woman... who abused me and threatened me, who _hated_ me for my entire life, thinks that she can come _live in the fucking castle with me?!?!?_

"...No."

My mom blinks. "Hmm?"

I stare down blankly at my untouched plate of food. "...Let's say that I do rise in rank... that doesn't mean that I want to quit the magic knights," I start. "I worked so hard already. Maybe one day I can become a Captain, or maybe-" I know this is going to piss her off. "Maybe I'll even become the Wizard King." My mother's face starts to drain of color, and she opens her mouth to say something, but I don't let her butt in. "Every time I go into battle, I become stronger. My mission is to protect the people of the Clover Kingdom, and I'll do that until my dying breath in whatever way is best. That's my mission.... _not_ to give birth to children so you can live vicariously through me."

Portia's jaw drops and Lyra stares at the pair of me in shock. My mother's expression darkens as I continue to talk. "Y-you little-"

"BUT-" I raise my voice. "Let's say that I _do_ quit the magic knights and marry the Wizard King. Let's say that I have, hmm, TEN children with him. I would want them to meet their great aunt and cousins for sure, so yeah, I would definitely invite them to come live with us, but YOU-" I have to clench my fist around my fork in order to stay composed. "Never, in my entire life, would I even _consider_ letting you near my children."

My words echo, unheard by anyone else in the busy tavern. Life goes on around us for a few moments. My mother just stares at me, her eyes quivering with rage in their sockets, the same rage and pain that I saw back then. She opens her mouth and closes it several times before deciding what she's going to do: an old reliable move. She stands up and raises her hand to hit me, just like old times. Open palm to the cheek.

I easily reach up and catch her wrist before the slap connects, drawing a shuddering gasp from both Portia and Lyra. "Sister! Sit down! What are you thinking-" Portia scolds. After a moment, I let go, and my mother takes a step back, looking at me incredulously.

"...I'm sorry you had to feel that pain," I tell her, not looking her in the eye as I push out my chair and stand up. "But I won't let you take it out on me."

That's all I really want to say. Without another glance, I turn and walk away. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I can hear her screaming at me to come back, but I ignore her.

I don't stop walking until I reach the edge of the pond on the other side of town. The rain has weakened into a drizzle by now, but it still soaks through my clothes and coats my skin. I don't really feel anything except the chill of the wind against my face as I come to a stop. The weak reflection of the full moon dances among the rain on the surface of the water as I contemplate my feelings.

I'm angry, upset, but mostly disappointed in myself that my mother can't bring herself to get over the past. Maybe it _was_ my fault that she couldn't have children anymore, but that isn't a reason to ruin the whole rest of my life! I'm just a tool to her, a tool for creating the future that she lost. But what about _my_ future?! I'm running towards it straight on, but she continues to fixate on that _one_ aspect. I love Julius. More than anything else. I'm _proud_ that I won his heart, and I'm proud that other people are proud. But that's not all there is! I don't want her to be proud because I found a "man" or whatever, I want her to be proud because of what I've become. I'm a Magic Knight of the Clover Kingdom, a protector of the people, slowly but surely climbing my way to the top. I possess amazing powers, some of which I don't understand... but once I master them, I won't let anyone stand in my way again! 

Feeling pumped up now, I pick up a small stone on the edge of the palm and clench my fist around it. My blue fire flares up, engulfing the rock and making it spark and glow like an ember. With a satisfied smile, I let out a yell and chuck it as hard as I can. It skids across the water three times before cracking into a million pieces. 

_More... more rocks!_

I let my primal instincts take over, throwing more and more rocks out, each one hotter than the last. I pick up a particularly perfect one and clasp both of my hands around it, allowing the flames to build. _More... get hotter! More power! Let me tap into_ that _power!_ I feel my mark start to glow, casting the area around me in white-blue light. The power intensifies, the mana concentrated into just this one stone. _Just watch this... no one's ever going to skip a stone like I'm about to!_ I grit my teeth and wind up my pitch, then get ready to throw-

Before I even let go of the stone, it's streaking along the surface of the water like a missile, causing an explosion on the opposite bank. A moment later, the water parts explosively in its wake, and I'm almost knocked over by the wind. I steady myself and watch as the flames and water calm down, eventually going back to normal.

I'm a little shocked and out of breath, but a confident smile quickly forms on my face.

 _Look at that... I really_ am _getting stronger!_ I think to myself, panting slightly. _This power is growing with me as I grow as a person. There's no one that can hold me back, especially not-_

I interrupt myself as a heavy cough rips out of my throat. I raise my elbow to cover my mouth as the coughing fit crescendos, then finally dies down. Taking in a ragged breath, I let my arm drop. Sheesh! Am I coming down with something. I swallow thickly, then immediately become nauseous from the taste of blood. _What the-_ I look down at my sleeve to see it covered with flecks of blood.

_...Wait..._

Before I can finish my thought, I hear an explosion from behind me. I whirl around and see light from inside the town, quickly followed by screaming. My heart drops as I take in the familiar scene, reminded of that battle a little less than a year ago...

_This town is being attacked! The Diamond Kingdom is making their move?!_

Without another thought, I take off running towards town, my cape flaring out behind me underneath the Crimson Lion cloak.

Time to do my job, as a proud Magic Knight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time... chapter 31: the encounter. It seems like an attack is underway, and our main character runs into a force that she never expected to see.


	31. the encounter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Whoooaaa so this chapter has a LOT going on, so pay attention!
> 
> 2\. I think this might be my best fight scene yet? Let me know what you think!! I haven't been getting many comments lately (cries). If you guys are good I'll give you another (***) chapter soon hehe (bribery for the win!)

_People are screaming and running away from the source of some kind of explosion that's sent billows of smoke up into the air. I quickly note that it's coming from one of the big mines on the edge of town. The crowd is streaming by me now, and others are escaping via broom up above. "Run! They're going to get here any minute!" Someone grabs my arm in an attempt to pull be along, but I shake them off and keep running. I still haven't found my cousins, and I'm not going to leave them behind!_

_"Orb Lightning Magic: Crackling Fist!" Electricity snaps around my father's fists like gloves, and he charges forward and punches one of the enemies in the face. "Go!"_

_The symbol on his hand is glowing. "Just this once," he muttered. "I'll draw from your power." With one decisive blow, he sends out a web of electric orbs around the area, knocking away all six enemy mages. Smoke hangs in the air as things finally settle down. My father is breathing heavily as he stands there, and finally lets his shoulders slump. I have about a million questions for him after what just happened, so I step out from behind the corner. "Dad?"_

_He turns and catches sight of me. "Hey! Didn't I tell you to-"_

_Something flies up from behind and instantly impales him. He freezes there, in the middle of walking towards me, face going blank at the realization of what's just happened. The thing in his back, now poking through his chest, looks like an oversized sewing needle. It's skewered him right through the heart._

This time, I know that I won't just stand by and watch as people close to me get hurt. This time, I have the power and the confidence to protect them with my own two hands. I'm already all hyped up from my rock-throwing session, so the thought of a good fight is especially titillating right now. _Stay calm, though... my priority is getting people to safety, then I can go ham on the enemies that are left!_

The main conflict seems to be happening at the north part of town, the part closest to the Diamond Kingdom border. It seems like King Augustus's bluff didn't ward them off, so it was lucky that two magic knights ended up being stationed in this town on the night of the attack. I pick up the pace as I hear frightened yelling, then turn the corner to see a man wearing the Diamond Kingdom uniform standing there. There's a ball of magic energy in his hand, and he's preparing to throw it at a pair of retreating women. "Ha ha! Just try and run! We'll burn this town to the ground!" he cackles, raising his hand. Luckily, my Grimoire is already open.

"Flame magic: Solar Bolt!" 

The bolt of fire shoots him through the back, so fast and hot that it instantly cauterizes any wound that was created while administering a nasty shock to his system. The mage screams and crumples to the ground. I walk over to him, already charging up mana in my palm. He's somehow still conscious, which is a feat in of its own. He grits his teeth and looks up at me. "So... there _were_ magic knights stationed here..."

"Of course we were," I reply simply before hitting him again, knocking him out for good this time. I straighten up as I hear more screams from the center of town, where the initial explosion happened. Not wasting another moment, I take off in that direction, yelling at people around me to get somewhere safe as I pass them. They quickly crowd into their houses and shops and peer out the window. One person, however, falls into step next to me.

"Who are they?" Horatio asks as he runs beside me. I briefly consider telling him to get to safety as well, but I can't bring myself to do so. _He was a great Magic Knight just a few months ago, after all. He could come in handy, since Gareth and I are the only two magic knights here right now._

"They're from the Diamond Kingdom," I tell him. "We were anticipating an attack, and it seems like they're striking this town first!"

"Shit, that's not good. A full invasion? Or just scouts?"

Good question. There doesn't seem to be any large force anywhere that I can sense, only a few spikes of strong mana around the town. "Maybe just scouts. Doesn't change our objective!"

"Right!"

We run into the plaza to see five more Diamond Mages, all shooting magic bullets around and causing mayhem. I see that the old well has been destroyed once more. They spot us and quickly give up on terrorizing the citizens. "Ah ha! Looks like that old fool Augustus was telling the truth for once!" one of them heckles, pointing at us. "But only one magic knight?"

"This will be easier than we thought!" another mage adds, opening his Grimoire as we approach. "What can you do, all on your own?!"

He sends a volley of energy at us, sharp as spears.

"She's not on her own!"

Horatio's purple Grimoire glows in front of him. "Gravity Magic! Center shift!" The energy is suddenly shooting back at its owner, who lets out a surprised scream as it hits him and sends him flying into the wall behind him. The other mages gape at us as Horatio's trademark smirk finally reappears on his face. "Not bad, huh?"

"I thought you were weak now? What the hell was that?" I demand, not helping but to smile back at him excitedly. What were the Silver Eagles thinking? This guy still had power in him!

"It took a long time, but I managed to remaster that one spell," he replies as the other mages start to circle us. "I can only do it a few times, so we better make this count!"

 _Horatio... your true power was never the strength of your magic, it was the strength of your mind and ambition!_ I turn away to face our four remaining enemies. "With the two of us here... this will be nothing!" 

Keeping in mind Horatio's limit, I take the lead this time, summoning Blazing Spear and rushing in headfirst. Inadvertently, I feel my mark heating up. I really don't mean to go all out right now, but something within me just _wants_ to. After everything I've had to go through today, there's something tempting about the thought of letting loose. "Flame Magic: Blazing Spear Barrage!" Only a few of the Diamond Mages manage to escape the blasts, but most of them go flying as the spear zaps around the area and returns to my hand. 

"Look out!"

I turn around just in time to see an enemy shoot an attack at me. _Shit! It's too late! The best I can do is defend at this point!_ I send up a wall of flame in front of me, and the enemy's magic explodes on contact. Me, Horatio, and the Diamond guy go flying in opposite directions. I do the best to break my fall as I tumble on the ground and skid to a stop. I wince as I sit up, seeing that the sleeve of my shirt is ripped up and scrapes have appeared on my skin. All the civilians have evacuated by now so that's good, but the Diamond Mage is back on his feet, pointing his finger at the fallen Horatio. "NO!" I yell, scrambling to my feet. _I'm going to be too late! Horatio!_

"Iron Creation Magic: Iron Bullet!"

Out of nowhere, a giant bullet of iron shoots out and hits the Diamond mage, sending him careening into the ruined well. Horatio and I look over to see that Gareth has showed up, looking a bit battered but still on his feet. "You two? Are you okay?"

I nod and turn to help Horatio up, rubbing the wound on my arm with my hand. "Yeah, so far. Are the others okay?"

"Yes! Only three enemies showed up near the tavern, and your family is safe." Gareth freezes when he looks at my face. "Hey! Y-your thing, your mark-" He points, and I realize that my mark is glowing dully in the night. _That's strange, I didn't activate anything?_ I think, reaching up and rubbing it. After a moment, it disappears, returning to normal. "...does that mean something?"

I shake my head quickly. "It doesn't matter, we have a more pressing issue on our hands." I do a quick scan of the area and I can tell that we've defeated all the enemies here. "So, there were only, like, ten of them? What was the point of this invasion?"

Horatio shrugs, glancing around suspiciously. Despite the lack of enemies, we could all feel a heavy dread in the air, the dread that something terrible was about to happen.

"...maybe this wasn't the invasion..."

Slowly, we all look up, and realize with heavy hearts that we were right... the attack on this town was a feint. The actual invasion force was flying right over the town, 100 mages strong, heading for the next town to the east, another one along the border.

"... oh shit."

My gaze snaps down to Horatio. "Can you keep everyone calm here?" He nods quickly in response, steeling himself. I turn to Gareth. "You need to call Fuegoleon, like, now."

He immediately pulls out his communicator and flips it open. "Sir! This is Gareth! A Diamond invasion is underway..." He continues to rattle off information as I run off and grab the brooms we left at the tavern. My family is probably hiding somewhere in the back, and I hope they're safe there. I run back out just as Gareth finishes. "They're going to contact HQ then head over right away," he tells me, catching the broom I throw to him. "We'll trail them for now."

"Good idea." I look back at Horatio. "Good luck..."

He scoffs a little, glancing back up at the sky. " _You're_ the one who needs the luck right now."

"Don't remind me!"

And with that, Gareth and I shoot back off into the sky in pursuit of the Diamond company.

The night is a dark one now, the moon obscured by thunderclouds. It's still raining, but not enough to stifle my magic. Admittedly, I'm a little nervous. I've taken on bandits, assassins, and even Diamond Mages before, but never a whole army! This could go badly very quickly, and my harried mind immediately flips through every possible worst case scenario. If I don't keep my head on straight, I could end up dead, or worse, a prisoner of war. This could go south, real fast, especially if-

"Fuck! They spotted us!"

A group of at least thirty mages suddenly breaks off and heads straight for us, mana charging up within them. Fuck, indeed. I grit my teeth and Gareth and I split up to avoid the first few shots at us. _Think! There's way too many of them, and they only have to take out two people. I'm sure everything will be fine once the Captain gets here, but I don't want to die before then!_ I open my Grimoire, raising my hand. "Solar Bolt!" I send out three at first, two of them missing while the third one shoots right through the leg of one of the mages. It's really hard to aim right now, among all the rain, wind and darkness. Before I know it, I'm surrounded, and one of the mages fires off a magic bullet that hits me right in the back. I scream and almost fall off my broom, free-falling for a couple seconds before regaining control. _Focus! There has to be a way out of this..._

I focus on escaping, zipping around so they can't aim at me well. I spot Gareth a little ways away, doing a pretty good job at protecting himself. _That's a senior knight for you!_

Now I can worry about myself. Solar Bolt is a great, precise spell, but it takes too long to aim, which is especially hard to do tonight on a broom. I need something less "accurate," as strange as that seems. There's so many of them that, if I got into the right place, a single, powerful, indiscriminate spell could get rid of a good number of them.

_A single, powerful, indiscriminate spell..._

Luckily, I have just the thing. Changing direction, I zip right over to Gareth, yelling as I pass him: "Can you get them off of my tail?"

He gives me a thumbs up, surprising me in how trusting his is of my barely-formed plan. _Thanks, Gareth!_ I let him take on the Mages pursuing me with a volley of iron blasts, sending shrapnel everywhere. It's enough to conceal my escape, and I start to climb.

Before long, that company of 30 is behind me. As long as Gareth keeps his wits about him, it'll be fine, because they're having as much trouble aiming as we are. I direct my attention forward now, towards the main force that is just about to reach the perimeter of the next town. They're circling over the forest as a small squad zips down into the village. _I need to act quickly! If nothing else, I need to distract them from the town!_ Steeling myself against the wind and my own fear, I climb higher and higher until I'm right above all of them. _Here we go..._ I take a deep breath. _I can do this... I'm more powerful now than I've ever been before. I didn't expect to have to use my most powerful spell tonight, but here we are!_

Letting out that breath, I tip the nose of my broom down and fall into a steep dive, aiming right for the center of the circling force. _Come on, come on, just a little farther..._ I have to time this exactly right, otherwise it will be nothing but a big waste of time.

Right as it seems like everything's going to work out, I start to cast the spell. "Flame Magic..:"

"Look out! Above us!"

Something hits me hard, sending me spiraling back up the way I came. I cry out as I feel a million shards of _something_ tearing into my skin, pricking me all over. The broom is blasted out of my hands and disappears from sight. I open my eyes and realize that the magic I've been hit with was _Wind_ magic! _Wind magic can do that much damage? It's not even, like, an object! That's kind of amazing!_

I don't have time to think about it as I start falling towards the Diamond army again, this time without a broom. Luckily, my Grimoire is still clutched in my hand, and that's really all I need. I take a deep breath, fighting past the fear and pain that permeates my body, and raise my arms above my head as I free-fall right into the midst of the enemy.

"Flame magic: SOLAR BLITZ!"

Solar Blitz is a simple spell. It's just one, fast volley of Solar Bolts that explode out from every part of my body at once. It's extremely taxing and expensive, mana-wise, but it's my most powerful spell. As soon as the spell is cast, I glow with the heat of my flames, before it's shot out faster than they can react. It's exactly what's needed in this situation, a powerful, indiscriminate spell that can hit multiple enemies at once, from all angles. I hear screams and the sound of impact, but I've already fallen past them and out of sight.

Now, I can focus on the new problem: I'm falling at an upsetting speed towards the forest at the edge of the village. I quickly cast one last spell, hoping that I have enough magic left to do so. "Flaming Condor!"

It's not complete, but the bird spreads its wings and manages to act as a parachute. I fall through the forest canopy and hit every single branch until I reach the ground. Ouch! With a pained groan, I roll over onto my back and look up into the sky just in time to see a good number of Diamond mages fall down nearby. _Looks like my spell worked... but am_ I _okay?_ With some difficulty, I manage to rise to my feet by holding onto a tree trunk. _Great! Now I need to get to the town and warn the civilians._ With newfound resolve, I limp off in what I hope is the right direction. At this point, the Crimson Lions will be here any minute to back us up, and the Diamond army would be done with at that point. _At least I did something..._ I can't help but smile to myself. _I'm proud of myself, today._

It's not long before I run into someone. Luckily, it just appears to be two civilians, an elderly couple on a midnight stroll together. Even if that seems a bit bizarre, I don't think about it before running up to them. "Hey! It's not safe out here! There's an attack!"

To my surprise, they don't react, they just ignore me and continue walking towards town hand in hand. I get a little annoyed. "Hey, lovebirds! The Diamond Kingdom is trying to invade! You're probably safer if you hide out..."

My voice trails off.

"...hide...h..."

The couple turned around right as I said that, and they're now staring at me through two pairs of white, glowing eyes. I freeze in place, completely petrified. _This mana... It's unlike anything I've seen before! Wait, no... I have seen this before! These two..._

They're the Ambassadors from the book. The Simulcian Ambassadors, standing here, a hundred years later, looking exactly like their picture. These two, the ones that appeared in my dream and whispered to me _I am your grandparents._

Paralyzed, I can't do anything but stand there as their eyes bore into my soul. I can feel waves of mana coming off of their clasped hands, and remember how they had marks there in their picture. _Is this a spell? Or... something else..._

"...how convenient."

Their mouths move at the same time, their enunciation in perfect unison. My jaw is hanging down as I fail to react.

"I thought this would be a bothersome incursion. But now, I can actually bring something home."

My eyes flicker down to their hips, seeing that they have Grimoires hanging there. It's hard to see, but it seems like they have blank covers. However, when they raise their free hands to cast a spell, they don't even touch the books. Their entwined palms pulse with overwhelming magic as they utter the words together:

"Natural Magic: Pan's Binding Carpet."

... huh? Natural Magic? I snap out of my shock and take a step back. What spell did they just use? Was it supposed to be some kind of compound spell? Nothing seems to be happening, all other mana drowned ohut by that between their palms. Wary, I open my own Grimoire again, even though I don't have much magic left. "Flame magic-"

That's when I realize that the ground beneath my feet is moving, surging like ripples of water. I try and jump away, but it's too late, the grass of the forest floor is suddenly streaking up my legs, torso, arms, neck, growing like hair. I scream and try to escape, but I'm completely encased except for my head within seconds. I try and light myself on fire to free myself, but not a single flame is produced. _Fuck! They're draining my mana while I'm in here! What is this spell supposed to be? If their attribute is Nature, then does that mean they have complete control over this environment?!_

That's crazy. This entire situation is crazy. These people are flawlessly using a spell (at least I assume it's the same spell) that almost killed me. There's no doubt in my mind that these _are_ the Simulcian Ambassadors, the people who says they were my grandparents. I'm not sure how that's possible, given their age, but I have bigger things to worry about now. My mind is starting to panic, overwhelmed by this encounter. Who are they, exactly? Who am I? What the hell is this power? I bite my tongue to ground my senses. This is definitely not the time for an existential crisis! If these two are here now, they must have some allegiance to the Diamond Kingdom, and are being used to supplement the invasion. If we didn't stop them here, they would be a big problem, even on their own. 

But it's not like I can do anything now. No matter how hard I struggle, the grass bindings don't budge. There's something else mixed in too, dirt? I don't have time to think about it as the couple turn away and start walking towards the village again. The grass continues to flow, dragging me after them. _This is bad! I can't be a prisoner of war! How did they even know about me? Something terrible could be waiting for me-_

Suddenly, there's a surge of power all around us, the temperature rising tenfold. The couple jumps out of the way as a blast of fire engulfs the area. The grass bindings around me loosen and I take the opportunity to break free. I'm quickly on my feet again, and spot a familiar figure walking towards us through the flames.

"I don't know what's going on here," Fuegoleon states loudly, coming to a stop next to me, his piercing gaze focused on our two enemies. "But I won't let you attack my comrade!"

My face breaks into a smile at the sight of him. If he's here, that must mean that the Captain and the others must be here as well. _The town is saved!_ I look over at Fuegoleon. "Be careful, these two are using some sort of combo spell that can control the natural world around us," I warn him, feeling their mana start to rise again.

"What are they?" Fuegoleon asks, narrowing his eyes as he watches them. "They aren't wearing Diamond uniforms."

I gulp, not really knowing how to explain my insight into all of this. "I'm not sure, but they're bad news."

"You're a royal, aren't you?" the ambassadors suddenly say. Fuegoleon looks unnerved by their united voice. "It's been a while since I had to fight a strong opponent," they continue.

Fuegoleon raises an eyebrow. " _I?_ " he repeats. "But you're right about one thing... I won't go down easy!" He glances at me. "Stay back, you're injured. I can take care off this." I nod and take a step back, clutching my bleeding side. It's not too bad, but it stings badly. Plus, my magic levels are super low right now. "Flame Magic: Sol Linea!" His spell shoots over at them, burning a blue stream through the night. The ground underneath the couple cracks and rises, lifting them out of harm's way. Fuegoleon grits his teeth. "That terraforming magic is faster than any I've seen with that attribute," he mutters. 

The couple has had enough. "Get out of my way! Natural Magic: Scythe of the Forest Spirit."

The forest erupts to life, as if some great beast were emerging from a slumber. The couple are whisked away by their square of land as the trees, rocks, and roots start to twist together. Fuegoleon and I lose our balance on the now inclined hill and tumble down the slope, yelling all the way. Fuegoleon manages to skid to a stop and stands up to look at the terrifying sight now towering above us: a huge, sharp scythe made of the landscape itself, poised to crash down on us. 

I'm stunned, but also scared out of my mind. _What the Hell!? How are they controlling both the living and non-living aspects of the environment?! This doesn't feel like a combo spell, either, this is something even more powerful!!_

Fuegoleon turns around, and I see the same fear in his blue eyes. "RUN!"

I'm not about to disobey him. We both take off in the opposite direction, running as fast as we can. I look up behind us to see the spell cutting down at us at a frightening speed. "FUEGOELON! WATCH-"

The spell makes its impact, sending a powerful tremor through the ground. I'm thrown into the air, screaming, and the last thing I remember is the ground rushing up at me once again. 

* * *

_I'm not alone._

_The couple stands before me, staring off into the distance, as if focused on something I can't see._

_"...hello?"_

_They don't answer._

_"... are you really my grandparents?"_

_Once again, no answer, but they do spare me one quick glance before looking ahead again._

_Someone's arms wrap around me from behind. There's a pleasant feeling coming from my mark as it glows warmly in the darkness._

_Don't worry about them._

_Get somewhere safe._

_Save Fuegoleon._

_Save Fuegoleon..._

_Wait, who-_

* * *

Another tremor quakes the forest, ripping me from my subconscious. I spring to my feet, my heart pounding. There's a fight going on a ways away, it must be Fuegoleon and the couple! Without another thought, I sprint off in that direction. I'm vaguely aware that my mark is glowing steadily, but I'm fixed on my one and only goal. 

_Save Fuegoleon!_

I run into a smoking clearing to see Fuegoleon laying on the ground at the feet of the mysterious couple. Their charging a magical attack in their free hands. 

"I didn't want to hurt anyone... but you asked for it this time. Die, now."

They raise their hands. 

I know there's no way I'm going to make it in time. They're many meters away, and there's not enough time to send out a solar bolt. I don't have the magic anyway. But for some reason, I start running, holding out my hand. 

_My father's blank Grimoire starts to dematerialize, specks of it floating up into the air as his life ends._

_Anger, sadness, guilt, fear, it's all welling up uncontrollably as I start to run. I know it's dangerous, but something is pulling me forward, an urge to find out the truth, even if it doesn't even exist._

_I won't let them kill you, Fuegoleon!_

I blink, and the couple is right in front of me.

The air is still for a long moment, and nobody moves.

_... what?!_

A nanosecond later, the momentum catches up to me, and I'm knocked forward off my feet at a worrying speed. "Ah!" The couple looks up at me just in time for me to slam into them. The three of us go flying across the clearing, and they cry out in surprise, accidentally releasing the energy they had stored up in their hands. "AH!" I feel a searing pain in my thigh as the magic blasts through, but I'm not done yet! With the last of my strength, I cup my hands.

"Solar Bolt!"

I aim right for their connected palms. The spell shoots through them, and their hands are ripped from each other.

I can see it now... they have marks just like mine, glowing white, a crackling energy still connecting them when apart. 

"AAAAAAAAAA"

They both let out a resounding, horrifying screech, as if they were being crushed slowly to death. I cover my ears, feeling my own mark start to pulse with pain. _Shit! What did I just do?!_

The couple crawl towards each other rapidly, as if their lives depend on it. I try to stop them, but I cry out from the pain in my leg. They hit me point blank with that attack, and I'm lucky that it hit my leg rather than my chest or stomach (I would definitely be dead).

Before I can do anything about it, their hands are clasped again, and a huge pulse of energy rips through the night. I can feel it... the cycle I disrupted, the cycle of mana so powerful and quick between two people, so powerful that it somehow combines their very lifeforce into one vessel... 

I broke that cycle, but now it's back together. The couple are clearly in pain, taking a moment to stand up. They lean on each other, but their symmetry is off. The woman's legs are shaking violently whereas the man is a bit more stable. Slowly, they both turn to look at me, rage on their glowing faces.

"You... you _dare_ try and break us apart?!"

 _Us..._ They just used _us_ instead of _I,_ proving my suspicion that I had weakened their bond by breaking the physical touch. But now they're both extremely angry, the first actual emotion I've seen them express _. "Natural Magic: Pan's binding carpet."_

I can't move as the grass starts to grow over me again. This whole encounter has been such a complete disaster! How is anyone supposed to defeat a force like this? I assume that their power comes from the combined magical attributes, but there's something more, something deeper than I can imagine.

_...I've lost..._

"Stop!" We look over to see Fuegoleon charging at us, his face ground in determination. He's battered and bloody, but stronger than ever, flames dancing all around him and his glowing Grimoire. "I don't know who you are, or why you're here... but I won't let you take my friend away!"

_... friend..._

His Grimoire is pulsing with magic, I know that sensation well... a new spell! "Flame Creation Magic... _LEO RUGIENS!"_

Instantly, his flames flare up into a giant form, a glowing orange lion! Fuegoleon is lifted into the air on its back as it directs itself at the couple. With a vengeful roar, it opens its mouth and shoots out a stream of hot, intense flame.

"Inconceivable," the couple mutters. "This is more trouble than it's worth... we'll see you again once we have a plan." The ground breaks apart beneath them, lifting them away out of danger and out of sight. The fire rips through the forest, setting trees ablaze. The Lion finally dissipates, and Fuegoleon runs over to my side. "Are you alright!?" he asks, kneeling beside me quickly.

"yeah, yeah, I'm fine," I tell him quickly, starting to sit up. "Was that a new spell? That was insane- AH!" I cry out as pain shoots through my body, and I flop back down into the grass, my mind going dizzy. I forgot about the wound on my leg, which is now bleeding my life freely onto the grass. "Eh... ow..."

Fuegoleon's eyes widen. "Oh no... hold on, I'll get you to a healer!" He starts to pick me up, but I wince heavily. "I have to move you!"

"N-no-" I stutter, my breaths starting to grow shallow at a terrifyingly fast rate. "It hurts... it..."

My lips move soundlessly as lights start to pop at the edges of my vision. The world is melting away, and I can faintly hear Fuegoleon yelling my name as darkness descends upon me.

I expected death to be cold, but it was actually very warm. Those arms... they're wrapping around me once again, familiar and comforting. I feel someone's lips against my ear.

_"Close your eyes... it'll be okay. I'll take over from here."_

_"...okay."_

Fuegoleon shakes the shoulders of my limp body. "Hey! Wake up! I didn't say you could die yet!" he cries out in anguish, his voice deepening the more desperate he gets. "You can't die! You're not done yet! I want to see you climb to the very top! You've hardly gotten started! Wake-"

He freezes as something strange happens. My mark starts to glow, and a faint blue light engulfs my entire body. He sits back, stunned, as each of my wounds closes up before his very eyes, as if they had never been there in the first place.

_...this magic..._

Once it's done, the light fades, and my mark stops glowing. A few moments later, I draw a breath and open my eyes. Everything is blurry, but I manage to focus in on his face. "...it's not so bad now..." I whisper. "Y-you can take me to the town now... I think I just needed a moment..." I realize that he's still silent. "Fuegoleon?"

He blinks, still taking everything in. "That spell..." he says at last. "I didn't know you had a healing spell?"

I frown, confused. "Hmm?" I look down at my body to see that my wounds are gone, and I gasp. "What?" I sit up and grab my Grimoire excitedly. "I got a healing spell?! That's so rare for an attack type to get a healing spell..." My voice trails off as I flip through the pages, and realize that there's no such spell anywhere in it. "...so... it wasn't me?"

Fuegoleon grabs my arm gently. "Come on, we can worry about that later. The most important thing is that we're still alive..."

I'm still shaken by this whole experience, but he's right, we have other problems to deal with. The night is still young. He helps me to my feet, and we run off to join the rest of the squad in securing the city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time! What the hell was that about?! Are those two people really my grandparents? Am I an orphan now? Julius and Fuegoleon are having a chat?! Find out why in chapter 32: the garden of questions.


	32. the garden of questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Unrelated but I feel like, if this were actually in the anime, Lyra would be voiced by Saori Hayami. She has such a sweet voice. ^.^ Idk what MC's voice sounds like tho lol
> 
> 2\. Also, I should bribe you guys more often, thanks for all the support so far! I posted a "supplementary" chapter in addition to this one, so enjoy. ;)
> 
> 3\. Also, this chapter ended up being really long?? Whoops??
> 
> 4\. Also POOR FUEGOLEON LMAO

One strange thing after another happened over the course of this long night, but now it at least seemed to be over. The Diamond force was decimated by the reinforcements from the Crimson Lions, so they made a hasty retreat. The mysterious couple disappeared along with them, and it wasn't long before the sun rose on our victory. We regrouped at my hometown, meeting up with Gareth and the Captain. "Well done!" he told the two of us when we arrived, the lines of his face deepening as he smiled. "You too, son. Thanks to your quick action, we were able to drive those bastards out!"

"I can't believe they actually tried to invade!" Fuegoleon muttered, crossing his arms. "The audacity... why now?"

I gulp, deciding to keep my exclusive information to myself. Julius told me to not tell another soul, after all. "You don't think they'll come back with more soldiers, right?"

"No... and if they do, we'll be waiting for then," Fernan tells us. "The Wizard King contacted us just before you arrived. We're to patrol this area constantly until further notice."

My heart leaped with joy. This attack must have been enough to convince Augustus to actually station magic knights out here! Well done, Julius.

"That reminds me, you and Gareth," Fernan directs his attention to us. "You two, me, and Fuegoleon are going to the Capital ASAP. There's lots of reports to send in and Julius wants to see us."

Gareth raises an eyebrow. "Us to?"

"Yes, since you were the first two to encounter the invasion."

That made sense. Fernan sniffs the air and wrinkles his nose. "But for now... go find a shower! I won't have you three smelling like sweat and smoke when we meet the Wizard King. Hurry!" 

Fuegoleon and Gareth go off together to find a place to shower, but I split off and go straight to my house. Lyra and her husband are waiting for me outside the door. "Thank goodness!" Lyra exclaims, throwing her very heavy body into my arms. I almost stumble and fall from the force. _Be careful! You have a passenger on board, you know!_ "I was so worried when you disappeared and the attack happened! OH!" Her glassy eyes widened. "When you were gone... we saw this amazing explosion over that way, in the sky!" She points in the direction of the neighboring town. "Was that you?"

They could see Solar Blitz from all the way over here? Interesting. I shrug. "Maybe... I did set off a really big attack in the air." I glance inside. "Is everyone alright?"

Lyra's husband nods. "Yeah, they're all sleeping now, but we wanted to be awake to see you go."

"Well, I need a shower first, that's why I'm here!" I tell them. "Apparently we're going to see Julius."

Lyra wrinkles her nose. "You smell like ash," she agrees, then grabs my arm. "Here, I have just the thing!"

She drags me into the back of the house, to the bathroom where we have our shower. I'm already dreading the cold water, but apparently Lyra has other plans. "Take off your clothes, I'll clean them."

"Lyra! I don't have time-"

"Do it."

Despite her calm, friendly demeanor, Lyra isn't someone I want to disobey. Gulping, I strip down and hand her my clothes. "I have a cleaning spell with my Cloud Magic," she explains, pulling out her Grimoire. "Cloud magic: cleansing fog." My clothes float up inside a small cloud, soaking them quickly. After a moment, Lyra clenches her fist and all of the water is immediately wrung out, along with all the dirt and grime. With a wave of her hand, the cloud disappears and my clothes land, folded, on the counter. "See?"

"Whoa!" My eyes widen. I think Julius's nerd-tendencies are starting to rub off on me. "So, you can summon water through the cloud and pull it out of objects as well?"

Lyra nods proudly. "Yep! Now, for you-"

She turns to face me but pauses. I open my mouth to ask what's the matter when she suddenly pokes the side of my neck. "Whatever could this be?" she asks, eyes narrowed, rubbing the tender spots on my neck that I've been hiding under the collar of my shirts.

I quickly turn beet red. "None of your business!"

"It _is_ my business! I'm your cousin!" Lyra giggles. "What a scoundrel!"

"Lyra, you're the one who's pregnant here! Which sin is worse?"

"At least _I'm_ married to him."

"Oh please, don't try and tell me you didn't have sex before you were married."

"... anyway, let's get you cleaned."

A few minutes later, Lyra's cloud has washed and dried me, leaving me fresh and ready to go. In the back of my mind, I barely register that I'm exhausted, I'm too excited to go see Julius right now. It's been a long night, and I have a lot of questions to talk with him about. I'm sure he'll be intrigued by all of the revelations I had tonight. "Alright, you look ready to go." Lyra straightens my cloak with a smile before returning her hands to rest upon her baby bump. "Once the baby is born... come visit us, alright?" She smiles. "And bring Julius too, if he can be spared! I want to get to know my new cousin." I laugh nervously as she winks. That would be great... if it weren't for my mother.

Lyra notices my mood drop and reaches out to hold my face. "Listen... you don't have to put up with your mother. You put up with her for far too long. I'll always be here to support you, alright? And at the end of the day... she'll come around. She'll be proud of you for what you really are."

Despite my pessimism, her words comfort me. I sigh and manage to smile. "...yeah... there's always hope."

She squeezes my cheek before letting go. "I better go check on the kids. Have a safe journey."

"Thank you, Lyra."

I close the door behind me, but only get a few steps away before I hear it slam open again. "Wait!"

Here we go. With a small exhale, I turn around to see my mother standing a few meters away, obviously having just rolled out of bed. Her face is pale as usual, her eyes wide and watery. _Is she going to apologize? Or just torment me more?_

"... those things you told me last night," she starts slowly. "...did you really mean them? You wouldn't let me see my grandchildren?"

For a split second, I feel guilty. Maybe saying that was a little too harsh on her, especially for the first time we had seen each other in nearly ten months. But once I think about it... it's not too harsh. After everything she did, she would be a terrible influence to have around any kids I have in the future. 

"I meant it. I can't let you see them... not as you are now."

We stand in silence, my mother staring at me blankly. Her eyes are dry now.

"...as I am now..." she repeats, her words slower than mine were. After sitting on that thought for a moment, she opens her mouth to utter a string of the most hurtful words I've ever heard.

"...I wish I were dead. I wish I had died while giving birth to you. It would be better than this Hell I have to live in. Do you have any idea what it's like? To have all your dreams crushed in one day? Because that's what you did to me. Go on, be a magic knight. Do me a favor and give your life in the line of duty. I'd rather not have a daughter at all."

Her words sting, one after the other, like a swarm of wasps in my rib cage. I don't even know how to respond, I can't even move as tears start to spill out of her eyes. I snap out of it, not sure if I should feel sad, angry, or a combination of the two. I just feel... numb. Like this isn't any different than what she's said to me before.

_"...at the end of the day... she'll come around. She'll be proud of you for what you really are."_

"Mom-"

"Don't call me that!" She suddenly screams, gripping her face with her hands. I freeze in place. "You're not my daughter! Portia's not your aunt! Lyra, Rocco, Pat, they're not your cousins! And I..." She grits her teeth and opens her eyes, nearly bulging out of their sockets.

" _I'm not your mother."_

... what? I almost gasp at those words, but my breath just makes an awful sound deep in my chest.

_I'm not your mother._

She sniffs loudly and turns away, not sparing me another glance.

"Get out of my sight."

* * *

_"Do you feel that?"_

_The memory is hazy, veiled in a soft, warm light. How long ago was this? 18 years ago? I was barely two years old..._

_My mother smiled down at me as she held my hand against her stomach. She wasn't showing much yet, but somehow she knew..._

_"This is your little sister or brother."_

_I blinked as she spoke, my toddler mind barely taking it in. "...sister? Brother?"_

_Mother giggles at my reaction, genuine joy in her eyes. "You're going to be a big sister. That's a big deal!"_

_I'm not exactly sure what she means, but it sounds nice... a sister or brother? Hopefully a sister!_

_I press my ear against the skin of her stomach, hoping to hear a heartbeat. Mother runs her fingers through my hair gently._

_"Mama... you'll still love me? When... when you have the baby?"_

_She kisses the top of my head, gazing at me as if I were the most beautiful thing on earth._

_"Of course..._

_you'll always be my daughter. My first, beautiful daughter."_

* * *

She's gone now. The door is shut, and I'm still standing here, staring at the empty wood of the home that used to be my family's.

_..."Get out of my sight."_

My lips are parts slightly, my breaths starting to get shallow. My heart is pounding, painfully hard, as the cold, hard reality starts to sink in.

_...did she just disown me?_

My hands are shaking as I stumble back, my vision starting to warp. 

_...no. Don't freak out..._

_Don't think about it._

"Hey! Look who finally showed up!" Fernan teases as I finally make my way to the square. He hands me a broom. "We better hurry..." his voice trails off as he sees my face. "Hey, you alright in there?"

I quickly nod, pasting on a smile. "Yeah! I'm fine, just tired."

"Hmm, it's been a long night. Hang in there." He turns to mount his broom, and I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"Your family... they're okay?" Fuegoleon asks me.

_...my family._

"Yeah! No one was injured, thankfully."

"Good!" Fuegoleon smiles and squeezes my shoulder before turning to follow his father. Gareth and I follow suit, trailing a bit behind them.

_Don't think about it, don't think about it._

On the long flight to the capital, I distract myself by coming up with a list of all the new questions that had come up over the course of the night. 1: Why were the Simulcian Ambassadors taking part in a Diamond Invasion? Why was the destruction of their civilization covered up? How on earth can they be the parents of my father when they're, like, 160 years old? 2: The power they had when they connected their palms... did it really combine both their consciousnesses and their magic? Is that the same spell that I tried to use with Julius? 3: How did I manage to heal myself while I was unconscious before? When I don't even have a healing spell in my Grimoire? When it happened, I can vaguely remember hearing a voice in my head, telling me to let them take over. Who the heck was that supposed to be? And lastly, 4: What power am I tapping into when I draw power from my mark? At this point, it's clear that it's an exterior source, not the mana that I already have inside. 

There's so many questions popping up, one after the other, that it's making my head hurt. Luckily, I can distract myself from all of that as we land in the Capital and make our way to the castle.

"Welcome!" Marx is waiting for us on the steps outside the gate. "Captain, and all of you." He gives us a friendly nod. "The Wizard King is waiting up in his office."

He turns to lead us inside, and we shuffle silently down the halls for a few minutes. Almost automatically, I speed up to fall into step with Marx as he beckons me to his side. "You were one of the first to encounter the invading force, weren't you?" Marx asks, keeping his voice a little low in the quiet hall. I give him a nod in reply, which makes him smile a little. "We got really lucky. If you were stationed in a different town, you probably wouldn't have noticed until it was too late."

"Yeah... they tried to fly their entire army over us while we were dealing with the scouts," I explain. "An interesting tactic, but not foolproof in the least. We took care of the scouts quicker than expected, and afterwards they weren't hard to spot."

Marx raises an eyebrow. "How many scouts were there?"

"Nine or ten? One of the men in the town helped us out though. Horatio... he used to be a member of the Silver Eagles, but got injured."

"Oh, I remember him! How's he doing?"

"Pretty good... he's not giving up on returning."

"That's good."

It occurs to me that this friendly chat between Marx and I probably looks a little suspicious, so I fall silent for the rest of the walk, letting Fernan walk ahead as we finally enter Julius's office. He immediately stands up from his desk as he spots us. "Welcome back!" he greets warmly as we stop in front of him and salute briefly. I have to force myself to keep a straight face as we make eye contact. Seeing him now... after everything that just happened...

_Don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think about it_

"First of all... congratulations. It's been a while since we had to defend against such an organized attack, but you dealt with it flawlessly." I wouldn't describe it as a flawless defense, but it did the trick. "Most of your squad is still stationed there, yes?"

Fernan nods. "Yes sir, split between those two northernmost towns."

Julius nods slowly. "Alright... I'll be requesting other squads to patrol the rest of the border regularly for now on." His gaze flickers over to me and Gareth. "You two... you were the first on the front lines, correct?"

"Yes!" Gareth says proudly. "We held them off until the rest of the squad arrived. The two of us managed to take out a good number of the mages."

"Incredible! The tenacity of your squad never fails to amaze me." Julius lets out a warm laugh before directing his gaze at me. "So... did anything strange happen?"

"As a matter of fact-" Fuegoleon suddenly decides to speak up before I can open my mouth. "There were two mages there that gave us some trouble. We fought them together..." He looked down at me, and I nodded in agreement. "It was the strangest thing... they seemed to be very old, a man and a woman. They never let go of each other's hands, and their eyes were glowing." Juilus raises his eyebrows, intrigued by the familiarity of the description. "They didn't even touch their Grimoires, but they had incredible power... more mana that I've felt from even a royal. It took everything we had to fight them off... they were trying to kill me, but they wanted to abduct her." He glances at me, and Julius's eyes narrow. "They moved at the same time, talked at the same time..."

"Really?" Julius rubs his chin, frowning a bit at the ground. He finally looks back up. "What kind of magic did they use?"

"They called it _Natural Magic,_ " I answer. "They had complete control over the environment around us. The trees, the water, the ground."

Julius's eyes widen. "Natural Magic? I've never heard of that! So... it wasn't an earth magic-plant magic combo spell, was it?"

I nod along with his words. "Yeah, no... it didn't seem like a combo spell. It was it's own, single type of magic, I think... but used by two people?"

"Two people, with one shared magic type?" Julius repeats. "And they were moving in tandem... That's almost like..."

"They were just one person," we both conclude in unison. He pauses to look up at me again, the hint of a smile on his face. "Well, that's very interesting. Who knew that the Diamond Kingdom had a pair of mages with such a strange power. I'll have to keep my eyes on them... they sound like they would be a fun pair of people to meet." He lets out a laugh and pats me on the shoulder. "In any case... we're lucky you two were stationed in that town, hmm?"

_Don't wink, please don't wink-_

Of course, being the madman he is, Julius winks at me before turning back to Fernan and Fuegoleon. "Well, I don't want to keep you too long, but there's something I want to discuss with the two of you."

Fuegoleon raises an eyebrow, but Fernan looks like he already knows what's going to be said. "In the meantime, you two-" Julius turns back to Gareth and I. "There's a lovely garden down in the courtyard. You can go rest there until we're finished, I'm sure you're both exhausted."

"Thank you, sir!" Gareth salutes, and I do the same before we turn to leave the room. I glance back just as the door closes, catching Julius's eye one last time before he, Fernan, and Fuegoleon disappear from sight. I wonder what they're going to talk about?

Gareth and I make our way back down the spiral staircase in silence, our footsteps echoing through the tower.

_Don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think about it-_

"So..." He finally speaks up. "I didn't know that you and Marx were acquainted."

 _Uh oh._ Between the conversation with my family last night and the friendliness between Marx and I this morning, I'm sure that Gareth is putting two-and-two together. I gulp nervously and open my mouth, my mind spinning as I try to think up an explanation of the fly. "w-w-well, you see, I actually come up here a lot, I have permission to use the library to-"

I'm cut off when Gareth lets out a chuckle. "Relax... I know why," he says cheekily. I turn bright red and stare down at the ground, mortified. "It wasn't hard to figure it out, after what your family was sayin'. But that's your business, so you don't have to worry about me mouthing off to anyone."

I let out a sigh of relief, still feeling a bit embarrassed. "...thanks, Gareth. I'm sorry you had to witness all that."

"Don't be, it was kind of funny!" he teased. "And anyway... we Crimson Lion Kings, we look out for each other. From the moment we join the squad, it's like we become part of the Vermillion family." My heart clenches a little at his words. "So really, don't worry about it. Your secret is safe with me."

_Don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think about it-_

We finally reach the garden down in the bottom of the castle. It's in a large courtyard, dissected into sections by rows of tall hedges and bushes full of roses. Gareth yawns and plops down in the grass. "I think... yes... this is a good place for a nap." Without another word, he lays back and immediately starts snoring. I leave him alone and head off to find a place to sit. After weaving among the path, I eventually find a small pond with some pretty goldfish in it. The sight even brings a smile to my weary face. I sit down on a stone bench, basking in the coolness of the surface. It's been a long night... I'm exhausted, hungry (for once!), and overwhelmed. It's just been one thing after another today... 

_"Get out of my sight."_

Desperate for a distraction, I absent-mindedly reach out and grab at the bush of flowers right next to the bench. I open my hand to stare down at the flower I just plucked, something delicate, ephemeral, something that can't last, so I might as well destroy it. Like a bad habit, my fingers start to pull at the petals, tearing each one off without care. The rips are dirty, imperfect, the stumps of the petals still attached to their apex. When it's over, I crush the stem into a ball in the palm of my hand, then throw it into the pond. The goldfish immediately attack it, making the surface of the water dance menacingly.

_Don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think about it-_

I cycle those words through my mind over and over again, drowning out all other thoughts. I'm not sure how long I sit there repeating the phrase to myself, but I don't hear the footsteps that eventually approach me. I jump out of my skin as someone's hand touches my shoulder. "Ah! How do you always manage to sneak up on me?" I ask, tilting my head back to look up at Julius. 

"I need to keep you on your toes," he teases, coming around to sit next to me on the bench. "You chose a good spot... I come down and feed the fish a lot. Of course-" He grins a little. "It's too easy to get snuck up on... I prefer the bench under the willow." He gestures at the other side of the garden. The Willow has long, dense branches that hang down like hair... it's a great place to "hide from Marx."

I hum softly in response, looking back at the water. Julius frowns a little at the reaction. "Everything okay?"

I clear my throat. "Yeah! I'm just... er, tired. Where did Fuegoleon and the Captain go?"

"I sent them to Magic Knights HQ to file a report... they won't be back for a couple minutes," he answers, staring at me thoughtfully. He obviously doesn't believe that everything's alright... he know me qay too well. "Anyway... you'll probably hear about this anyway, but I'll tell you now." I look up, interested. "Fernanleon and I have been discussing this for a few months now, but he'll be retiring this year."

The news catches me off guard. The Captain? Retiring? I guess there are worse ways to leave the Magic Knights. "Did he say why?"

Julius shrugs. "You know. He's starting to age a bit. And he wants to spend time with his youngest son before he gets old. It'll be a pretty smooth transition, thanks to Fuegoleon."

"Fuegoleon? You mean..." My mouth widens into a smile. "He's going to be made captain?!"

"Who else? He's a strong young man, who inspires action in others, don't you agree?"

I nod eagerly. I couldn't think of a better person to be captain. "I'm happy for him... he deserves it more than anyone else."

Julius laughs. "Well, if you agree, it has to be a good idea."

"Hmm?" I avert my eyes. "You don't always have to listen to me, you know." I was happy that he took my advice when it came to patrolling the northern towns, but having the ear of the Wizard King was a lot of pressure... I didn't want to accidentally doom the kingdom or something. "You're the Wizard King, after all, and Marx is your adviser, not me."

"Maybe that's true-" Julius smoothly slings his arm over my shoulder, resting it against the back of the bench. "But I trust you, believe it or not. And anyway, Marx usually ends up saying the same things."

That's interesting, and I'm flattered that he trusts me... but something's gnawing at the back of my mind. Even now, three months after we became a (secret) couple, I can't shake the feeling that I shouldn't be involving myself in this so much. My life has become too complicated lately anyway, and I don't want to entrench myself in more things. Part of me wonders if I should even let myself be _with_ Julius. Aren't I just a distraction? All I do is cause more problems for him. No matter how much he assures me it's alright, that he enjoys the intrigue, I feel guilty. Even now... he trusts me? Why? It's not like I'm his equal. I'll never be as powerful, influential, or important as he is... then why bother?

_... wait a second... where is all this self doubt coming from?_

Just the other night, I knew I was proud of myself. I was the one who won the heart of the most important man in this kingdom. But I never saw him like that... I mean, of course I did, but I didn't fall in love with the Wizard King... I fell in love with Julius. Kind, gentle, warm, wise Julius. I needed someone like him in my life when he arrived... and he needed me, right? 

Now more than ever... now that...

_Don't... think..._

Julius continues to talk about something or other, his words drowned out by the clenching feeling in my chest. 

_Don't..._

I squeeze my eyes shut, feeling them heat up with tears. I can't hold back the thoughts now... 

_"Get out of my sight."_

Julius nearly has a heart attack when I suddenly cover my face and choke out a sob. "Ah! What's wrong?! Was it something I said?!" he stammers frantically, reaching out to me. 

All I can do is shake my head before throwing myself into his arms. 

I can't remember the last time I actually cried in front of someone. Maybe it was back when my father was alive? I never minded crying around him, because he would never call me weak or childish. He would just hold me until it was over... 

"It's alright... it's going to be alright..."

I'm only vaguely aware of Julius whispering comforts to me softly, holding me tightly against him as I finally let it all out. The emotions I bottled up for so long are bubbling to the surface now, probably soaking the fabric of his robe. He just strokes my hair until the storm is over and I manage to calm myself down. I sit up a little, my breaths still shallow as tears streak down my cheeks. "...I-I'm sorry-"

"No, don't say that," he whispers softly, rubbing his thumbs over my wet cheeks. "It's okay... I don't know what's the matter, but you're going to be fine, alright?"

When he tells me things like that, I can't help but believe that they're true. 

"Now, let's talk." Julius gives me a warm smile. "What's wrong?"

Still fighting back my tears, I spill everything: the problems with my mother from the beginning; the pressure on me to do what she wanted, which only got worse after my father's death; her disapproval of my choice to become a magic knight; my promise to never let someone that abusive near my future children; and finally... I break down again, crying without shame. "I've ruined everything! All I want is for her to be proud of me, but now she's cut me off completely! I can't even call her my mother anymore! W-what am I supposed to do?" I cover my face again. "Every time I think I've made the right decision... she pops up in the back of my mind. All because I ruined everything for her... now..." I feel my resolve deflating, dwindling into nothing. "M-maybe this would be better... maybe I should have just never been born."

Maybe if I wasn't born, mom would be happy. Maybe she would have had many kids, like she always wanted. Our family wouldn't be so strained. My parents wouldn't have fought so much. Everyone would be so much happier... I really did ruin everything, didn't I?

"..." Suddenly, Julius's arms tighten around me, pulling me back into his chest. My cries are muffled by the firm trim of his collar, but I can hear him. "...please don't say that..." his voice is deadly serious. "Please tell me you don't mean that."

For a moment, I feel a jolt of fear as I realize that what I just said may have hurt him. My eyes fill up again and I quickly shake my head. "No! I-I'm sorry, that was a stupid thing to say, -"

"No, no, not stupid." Julius pulls back to look me in the eyes, and I'm shocked to see that he has tears welling up as well. "I get it... you're overwhelmed, and what happened to you is horrible... it's not right to cut you off from your family like that. But..." He closes his eyes and presses his forehead against mine, the intimate motion taking me by surprise. "There's only one person you need to make proud: yourself. Don't let them chip away at your worth. Nothing would be better if you weren't born... I know that better than anyone."

Julius opens his eyes to stare into mine again. "...I've been proud of you since the day we met. I love you... and I'm not going anywhere."

I don't really know what to say, how to communicate how much those words really mean to me. _I'm not going anywhere._ Without another word, I lean in and give him a wet kiss that he gladly reciprocates. We sit in comfortable silence after that, his hand stroking up and down my arm as he holds me.

"I just wish that things were more simple," I finally mumble. "And now two strangers from the Diamond Kingdom want to abduct me? How did I even get into this mess?" I can help but laugh a little at the ridiculousness of it all.

"Don't worry... I won't let them touch you," Julius replies, his voice resolute. "And one day, our life will be simple."

 _Our life._ I like the sound of that. 

* * *

Fuegoleon wasn't sure what to make of the scene he just stumbled upon. His father told him to go gather the others so they could head out, this time to secure the town of Kiten on the Diamond border. Any of the towns out there could become a target. He found Gareth easily before searching the rest of the place. He didn't expect to see the Wizard King sitting by the pond. "Oh, sir-" He walks next to the bench and froze. He _definitely_ didn't expect to see me curled up on the bench, fast asleep, with my head resting in Juilus's lap. Julius looked up, opening his mouth to say something but unable to. Fuegoleon was frozen for a moment before he finally cleared his throat, going red. "Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything-"

"No, no, you haven't interrupted anything." Julius recovers smoothly. "Just don't talk too loud, I think she needs some rest." Fuegoleon's eyes flicker back down to my sleeping form, lingering on the protective hand that rests in my hair. "I assume you're leaving?"

Fuegoleon quickly nods. "Yeah... we'll be staying in Kiten for a few days. It's a good place for a home base." He tears his eyes form me and looks up at Julius. "If... if you think she's unfit to leave right now, we can expect her tomorrow."

"Sounds lovely." Julius gives him an easy smile, cryptic as usual. "Noon?"

"Noon's fine."

The atmosphere becomes increasingly awkward... luckily, I'm not conscious to witness it. Julius picks up on it, though, and looks around before turning back to Fuegoleon. "Before you go... er..." He laughs nervously. There wasn't really a good way to explain this situation. "I, well, we would appreciate it if you... didn't tell anyone you saw us like... this..?" He gestures down at me, still slumbering away happily. "You can probably understand the problems it would cause."

Slowly, Fuegoleon nodded. Julius could tell something was bothering him. The man had grown quite close to me over the past year, and was sure that his gut reaction would be to doubt the honor of his actions. To the uninformed onlooker, the power dynamic here was tipped way too far in one direction...

_But I know Lord Julius. He's a good man..._

"I understand." Fuegoleon smiled and let out a sigh. "I had a feeling something was going on... you can trust me."

Julius let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Fuegoleon."

"Excuse me." With that, Fuegoleon turned and walked off out of the garden, many questions now in his mind.


	33. the best way to wake up (***)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not plot relevant... skip if you want ;)

Someone is snoring very loudly into my ear. Slowly, I crack open an eye and look around. I'm laying in a bed, a very familiar bed, in a room with the one eastward window open. It's still dark outside. I wince as another snore hits my ear, breath tickling my neck. I try and sit up, but someone (Julius, I assume) has me in what's essentially a chokehold. His arms are embraced around me from behind, one bent leg draped over my hip. In addition, I'm wrapped up tightly like a cocoon in his robe, making it impossible to do more than wiggle around. _How long have I been here? Last thing I remember was being in the garden... why am I still here?!_

Starting to get anxious, I start to squirm in an attempt to wake him up. "Julius!" He stirs slightly at my whisper. Encouraged, I try and poke him with my elbow and hips. "Wake up-" 

"Mmm." He hums in his sleep, and I realize that I've made a fatal flaw while squirming in his grasp: I've been rubbing against his crotch the whole time without thinking about the consequences. Well, it's too late now. His grip tightens around me as his hips start to move as well, and he grunts as he starts to find friction. I'm trapped, unable to move. "Mmm... good girl..."

Eek! Usually I'd be delighted to hear that, but now's not the time! I let out a panicked squeak as he suddenly rolls on top of me, pressing my face into the pillow. "Ah! Julius! That hurts!"

Immediately, he jerks awake. "Oh! Sorry!" He quickly releases me and sits up. I gasp for breath and roll onto my back to look up at him. "You okay?"

"Yeah... what happened? How long have I been here?" I manage to spread open the robe and free myself.

"You fell asleep in the Garden, remember?" Julius tells me, sitting on his knees as his eyes drift over me. "You slept for like, 20 hours I didn't want to send you away just yet, I wanted to make sure you woke up okay. I figured you were just exhausted."

I nod along with the story. "But, what about the others?"

"Fuegoleon said just to be in Kiten by noon today. It's-" He glances over at the clock. "Nearly 5 am now, so there's no rush."

"Wait? So, Fuegoleon saw me sleeping? Did he see..."

"Don't worry, I took care of it," Julius assures me. Despite my worries, his words calm me down. "I'll make sure you get a good meal and bath before you go."

"...thank you." I smile brightly up at him before looking down at my now exposed body. I'm dressed in a thin white nightgown that reaches just above my knees. "Where did this come from?"

"Oh? This?" Julius reaches down and starts to play with the hem. "I had Marx get it last night. He's good at picking stuff up for me quickly."

"Hmm... it's soft." I move slightly and suddenly realize something embarrassing. "Uh, J-Julius," I stutter, starting to blush. "I-I think you forgot... um..."

"Underwear?" I look back up at him to see that he's smiling knowingly. "No, no... I definitely didn't forget."

His fingers leave the hem of the garment to start trailing up my legs. "I thought this thing was so cute... just like you," he whispers, his voice getting sultry now. "Seeing you in it is driving me crazy... you look so innocent, but underneath..." I suck in a breath as one of his hands darts up, quickly locating my already-wet entrance. "Mm." He pushes two fingers inside, causing my back to arch at the feeling. With a chuckle, he grabs my hip to pin me down as he curves the digits, stroking my desperate walls. "You're so nice and tight..." He spreads his fingers, stretching me, and I cry out at the feeling. "Even after I fucked you open so many times..." He licks his lips before retracting his fingers and leaning down to kiss me. It's wet and sloppy, but passionate all the same. 

"Such a good girl." 

Every time he calls me that, something hot stirs inside me, begging me to submit to his whims. He's so gentle and caring, even at times like these, but we both know who's in charge. The way he whispers the dirtiest things in that calm, collected voice... ah! I could cum just listening to him.

Julius pulls back to look at my flushed face, his lips brushing against my chin. "You did such a good job yesterday... maybe I should reward you, hmm? Would you like that?"

I nod eagerly, blushing a bit as he giggles at my willingness. He slides the hem of my nightgown up, exposing more and more skin until it rests right above my breasts. Without breaking eye contact, he slips his lips down between them, his large hands kneading gently. He doesn't spend much time there, quickly moving down and nudging my thighs open. I squeeze my eyes shut and try to stay still has his lips and breath tickle my thighs. He briefly latches onto a spot to leave a hickey before licking slowly up my slit. I let out a whine, desperate for more, but he was taking it slow. His tongue teases me, drifting past my clit just barely each time. Finally he decides to put me out of my misery, his lips latching on to suck. 

A string of whimpers stream out of my mouth, my hands tangling in his blonde hair. Every time he does this, I start to unravel almost embarrassingly quickly... if only he weren't as good at it, maybe I would be able to hold on a little longer. I stammer his name as my climax hits me hard, causing my body to shake from head to toe. Julius hums against my clit, his tongue slowing down but not stopping. This is the best part, for him, watching me squirm and plead with him as he stimulates me until I'm nearly braindead. And that's exactly what he does, not stopping until my entire body jolts at every small touch, my eyes glassy.

He finally pulls away to admire the mess he's made of me. "Done already? We can go back to bed if you'd like?"

I quickly snap out of my stupor and sit up. He lets out a soft sound of surprise as I pull him in by the collar, our lips meeting in a feverish kiss. He tries to push me back down on my back, but I shrug off his hand. "Please, Julius... take off your clothes." He raises an eyebrow but quickly obeys. My mind is too clouded with lust right now to really have a plan, but all I know is that I want him naked, now.

He throws his clothes out of sight and lays back as I climb on top, smiling smugly to himself. Without hesitation, I quickly straddle him, but pause with a shudder as his erection brushes against my over-stimulated arousal. "Aw... something wrong?" he teases, making my face flush pink. Slowly, with the help of his hands on my hips, I sink down and take him inside me. I'm not quite prepared for how much he stretches me in this position. "You were so confident... go on," he says, folding his hands behind his head.

Cautiously, I let myself start to move with a bit of difficulty. Only a few seconds in, my legs are hurting and I almost collapse forward onto his chest. Luckily, Julius decides not to tease me any more and helps me out with a hand on my waist and thigh. "There you go..." He lets out a stifled moan as he takes control. "How does that feel?"

"G-Good-" I whisper back, already getting lost in the sensation. I slip my hands over his chest, feeling his muscles and the little bit of hair between his pecs. I manage to regain some strength and match his pace as he starts to speed up. His hands come up to grope my breasts as I take over, bouncing with a little help of his hips. "Look at you, riding the Wizard King," he says, his grip tightening and drawing a cry from my mouth. "Make yourself cum, my sweet."

That's all I really need to be told. His cock is sliding against all my sweet spots, and I reach my peak without much warning. His hands come back to my hips to hold me upright as the pleasure wracks my body and I almost go limp. I pant for breath, my head spinning with lust and exhaustion. "I-I can't-" I weakly try to move, but almost fall back down onto him. "It-s too- too much-"

"Ah, I see." I don't resist as Julius's arms wrap around me and he pushes me down onto my back so he can hover over me. I let out a cry as he repositions, stretching me in a whole new way. "Just lay here... I'll take over." He kisses my forehead before burying his head in the pillow next to my face, proceeding to fuck me mercilessly.

For the next few minutes, the room is filled with just the sounds of skin on skin, my breathless moans, and the bedframe hitting the wall again and again. He pounds into my tightening hole, and lets out a sustained moan of pleasure as he finally cums, hard. He pumps himself into me before finally slowing. However, he doesn't sit up, and I suddenly feel a spark of mana in the air. _Huh? Wait, is he-_

His cock is suddenly hardening again as he finally props himself up to look down at my shocked face with a smirk. "How do you like that magic trick?" he asks, wiggling his hips against mine teasingly. I can't really form words right now, I just grip his arms tightly in preparation for what's to come. His gaze softens and he leans down to pepper my face with kisses. "One more? Then I'll be done, I promise..."

I quickly nod eagerly. He's only used his magic on me in... this way once. He had me pressed against the wall in a tiny broom closet and panicked when he heard voices coming our way. _"Shit! I better finish this quick!"_ He... well, he sped the process up considerably so we wouldn't get caught.

This time, though, he takes it slow, his finger playing with my clit as he thrusts into me, making sure I was feeling good, too. Every part of my body quivers with pleasure. He leans down and kisses me deeply as he starts to climax again, his grip around me tightening. I reach mine at the same time, and we lay there moaning into each other's mouths as the burning, slow orgasm takes us both. I whimper against his lips as I feel him fill me with warm cum once again. He never pulls out, and part of me is a bit worried that I'm going to have to face consequences for that eventually. But I suspect that he takes care of it with a small spark of mana at the end of each of our sessions. 

He finally pulls out, letting out a small grunt at the feeling. "Ah-" He collapses next to me, actually tired out for once. "Sorry... I think I may have gotten carried away," he says with a nervous smile. 

I shake my head, turning around to face him. "No... I liked it," I reassure him, pressing my flushed skin against his. 

Julius smiles, wrapping his arms around me to pull me closer. "Good..." He lets out a sigh and closes his eyes. "God... I love you." The declaration surprises me a little, but he leans in to press his forehead against mine. I giggle at the intimate gesture, leaning up to give him a peck on the lips. 

"I love you too."

We lay there for a bit, sweaty, until he picks me up and moves to the bathtub, where I fall asleep again on his chest, enveloped in water, bubbles, and his strong arms. 


	34. the lion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Julius and MC are going to make me throw up they're too cute
> 
> 2\. I feel like I say this every chapter, but... POOR FUEGOLEON LMAOOOO at least this wraps things up for him.

"...so, this all leads _me_ to believe that the Diamond Kingdom is _definitely_ harboring the survivors of the Simulcian disaster from 100 years ago. Maybe, in return, your grandparents have to help them?"

"Like mercenaries?"

"Exactly! Open your mouth, these strawberries are delicious."

I open my mouth and let Julius feed me the fruit. He's right, it's the perfect balance of sweet and tangy. The two of us are in the office eating breakfast, explaining everything to Marx as best we can. We decided this morning that it was best if he were in the loop, since he's Julius's closest confidant and everything. The blue-haired man is having trouble keeping up with everything. "Hold on! How on earth are those two your grandparents?" he asks me. "I get that they talked to you in a dream, and that you saw their pictures in a 100 year old book so you recognized them... but wouldn't that make them over 160 years old?"

"Yes!" Julius suddenly starts to get excited, his eyes sparkling. "You know what that means? The innate magic of the Simulcians has longevity properties! That's the only explanation!"

"Well, not the _only_ explanation," I correct. "But it makes perfect sense! My father was 51 when he died, but he looked much younger. I wonder if he was _actually_ much older..."

Marx glances between the two of us as we start to gush about the possibilities. _Oh no... Julius has infected her._ He clears his throat. "But, what's this _innate magic_ you're talking about?"

Julius jumps to answer. "We read all about it in the history books... well, we tried to. There's not much information about them, since they were 'destroyed' so long ago, and all we could really find was that the Simulcians, over time, developed innate magic that could amplify their mana. Maybe they start out with almost stunted magical abilities, then reach a certain age at which they develop a mark." He points at my forehead to make his point. "That's what happened to you, I think... ugh!" He throws his hands up. "There's still so much we don't know! Investigating is too risky at this point, too..."

I reach out and touch his arm gently. "It's alright... I'm not in a big hurry to get this figured out."

"Right, right." Julius smiles at me and places his hand on top of mine. For a moment, we forget that Marx is there until he clears his throat.

" _Anyway,_ this amplification spell... is that the spell that appeared in your Grimoire?" Marx asks after taking a sip of coffee. Despite the craziness of all this, he's taking it very seriously and I'm very thankful for his help.

I flip my Grimoire open to the mystery spell. "I think it might be... whatever it is that amplifies my mana, I draw power from some external object. I don't know what it could be, though, but it seems that my 'grandparents' were drawing it from the same thing."

"It could be some crazy magical object," Julius muses. "Something hidden within the Diamond Kingdom, perhaps?"

Marx gulps. "That wouldn't be good... they could use it against us in the future."

I close my eyes for a moment, trying to straighten everything out. So much new information... it's a bit overwhelming. After everything that happened yesterday, I was exhausted and fragile. Thankfully, Julius let me stay here for the night to recover, supposedly with Fuegoleon's permission. That's a whole other problem that I'll have to deal with later, though, so I push it from my mind. 

"So... even with this amplification spell, why were the two attackers 'moving as one,' as you say?" Marx pulls me back to reality. "Is that some prerequisite for using the spell? You have to share it with another person?"

Julius and I exchange a glance. "Well... the two of us... we actually tried to cast this spell." I point at my Grimoire. "It didn't go very well, but I think the effect was similar to what my 'grandparents' were doing... only they seemed to have mastered it completely." I wince a little as I remember how painful the effects of the spell were to me. "There was a big difference, though... my 'grandparents' only seemed to be in pain when I momentarily broke their physical bond. With Julius, it was the opposite."

Julius squeezes my hand gently. "Yes... that's interesting. I wonder what's different?" He lets out a sigh and holds up another strawberry for me. "In any case... you and Fuegoleon were able to fight them off. I wonder why they were trying to abduct you, though?"

I shrug, a spike of fear shooting through me as I eat the strawberry. _I don't want to be taken away... but I'm sure Julius can protect me. Hell, I can protect myself!_

"...despite how, well... ridiculous this all is," Marx finally says, looking between the two of us. "It's definitely worth pursuing, in my opinion. If we end up having a war, this kind of information will be vital."

I nod in agreement. "And that amplification spell... if I can get stronger, we might be able to use it ourselves." I look over at Julius. "I don't really know why you were able to take part in it... you don't have this mark, except when I cast the spell. I don't know if that's normal or not. But in any case... we would have a way better chance of fighting off-"

I'm cut off when he suddenly reaches out to squeeze my shoulder, his face turning serious. "...Absolutely not," he says. "I don't want you to hurt yourself again."

"I know! But-" I shrug off his arm. "The mana produced by that spell is too much for me to handle right now. If I can just get stronger, I could do it, I know I could."

Julius looks conflicted for a moment before letting out a sigh, his hand falling back onto the table. "...Maybe you're right. We need to be careful, though."

"Definitely." I look up at Marx as he speaks, surprised to see him smiling down at me. "I've gotten used to having you around... Lord Julius will become unproductive again if you hurt yourself."

I'm touched by the comment. "Oh?" I tease. "That's the only reason?"

Marx takes a breath through his nose, a light blush on his cheeks. "N-No, er, well," He clears his throat. "I'll be leaving now. You better get to work, Julius!"

We both laugh quietly to ourselves at his behavior as he finally exited the room. _Poor Marx... But after all the time I've been spending at the castle lately, I guess he got attached to me. I'm no better... he's a nice, hardworking, serious guy that you can't help but like. He's probably the strongest person in the Kingdom, after having to keep Julius under control._

"So, you should probably get going soon." I glance up at the clock at Julius's words, seeing that it's nearly time to go. "Do you need a... _ride?_ " 

_Ride?_ It takes me a moment to realize what he's trying to insinuate, but I turn as red as the strawberry in my hand when I do. "Stop it!" I scold, swatting him lightly on the arm as he cackles like the madman he is. At least he didn't say it in front of Marx, that would have been more embarrassing for him than it was for us. "But yeah, I suppose I need one." I've stayed so long that it'll be hard to get to Kiten on time by broom. 

"Well, if you insist." He suddenly reaches out and drags me into his lap, immediately leaning in for a kiss. I quickly turn my face so he hits my jaw instead. "Hey! Not that kind of ride! Let go, pervert!"

"Pervert? That's no way to address the Wizard King," he teases. I can't see his face but I know that he's smirking it up. "Come on, we have time."

I whine as I struggle in his grasp. Usually I would love to stay and play around with him, but I really don't want to get on Fuegoleon's bad side by being late. "No! Julius!"

"Fine! Fine! One kiss, and I'll let you go?" He pouts and I can't refuse. With an exaggerated sigh, I lean up and press a *chaste* kiss on his lips. Julius finally loosens his grip and allows me to stand up. I straighten my clothes out before glaring down at his unflustered expression. "Don't be like that... you love me~"

Even though he's got the most shit-eating grin on his face, I can't stay mad at him and end up grinning right back. "...okay, yes, I love you. You're lucky you're the most handsome man in this kingdom!"

"Oh? I'm flattered." He chuckles and stands up himself, taking my hand. "Come on... I recently got a new spatial mage in my service who can get you to Kiten instantly, even faster than I can." With that, we leave his office behind, a tray of strawberry stems piled up on his desk among our empty coffee mugs.

"Oh, I forgot to mention," he says as we walk. "The Grey Deer have been having some leadership problems lately. I didn't think leaving would cause so much trouble! So, I decided to make Yami and William both vice-captains."

"Whoa! Really?" The news is surprising, but it occurs to me that I've never actually seen the two of them while they were seriously working. I'm sure, since they were hand picked by Julius, that they're strong and capable mages. I was amazed by the little magic they set off at the Star Festival. _One day... I'd like to fight beside them, and see them in action for real! Maybe I should have joined the Grey Deer._ "They didn't choose a new Vice Captain in the year since you left?"

Julius shrugs. "Well, they did... they went through a few, actually. But I'm sure the two of them will straighten things out." He gazes off into the distance happily. "I trust both of them completely."

"...I see." I look ahead again, thinking. _William, Yami, Fuegoleon... all of my friends are moving up in the world. I'm so proud._ I smile to myself, determined. _I may be a few years late, but I'll catch up!_

We finally track down the spatial mage, Cobb, who opens up a door that supposedly leads to Kiten. Julius simply squeezes my shoulder before stepping back. "Good luck... I'll see you again soon."

I wave goodbye with a happy smile before turning away and walking through the door. The events of the last two days have been crazy and more than a little upsetting, but something in the back of my mind told me that it would all be alright. It didn't matter if my mother disowned me; Lyra, Portia, and everyone would still be my family. Fuegoleon, Yami, and William would still be my friends. And Julius, in his own words, isn't going anywhere. I have time, time to figure out this strange spell and to become even stronger. It didn't matter if my 'grandparents' wanted to abduct me, I'm not going to let them! 

Kiten was a lively little town, located right on the border between the Diamond and Clover Kingdoms. It was surrounded completely by a wall around the perimeter, and this is where Cobb let me off. I turn around to see the magic door close and disappear before surveying the town. There's a lot of activity, and I can see a few groups of familiar Magic Knights walking around. Not wasting another second, I head off to descend into the town and regroup with the others.

We've taken over a small building near the center of town, which is where I find Fuegoleon and the others, all looking down at a magically generated map. He looks up when I enter, his eyes widening a bit. "Ah, finally, you're here! Right on time, too." He gives me a smile, which I can't help but notice looks a little strained. _Uh oh... if what Julius told me is really true, that means that Fuegoleon really did see me sleeping on him... there's no way he hasn't figured it out yet._

I avert my eyes a little. "Thank you, sir." _Julius told me not to worry about it... but it's not just that another person knows about us._ Fuegoleon _, my comrade, knows about us. I can't help but feel like things are going to be awkward now..._ I push my suspicions away for the time being. "What needs to be done?"

"Nothing much, not right now," he explains, walking over to me. "We've set up patrols along the border, so we can react quickly if any enemies approach. The four major towns have Knights stationed in them now, from three different squads." Fuegoleon's gaze drifts out to the sky outside the window before pulling back in to me. "For now, just station yourself on the northern wall. Take a break before dinner, then go back out for the night watch."

Finally! Something to do. I quickly salute with a smile. "Yes, sir!"

I can't get out of there fast enough, quickly returning to the top of the wall where I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. That wasn't too terribly awkward, but there was something about the way Fuegoleon looked at me that confirmed what I suspected: he definitely knew. I feel my heart fall a little when I realize that it wasn't normal interaction. I wasn't sure if the emotion in his eyes was confusion, even disgust... _He's probably mad at me for sneaking off all the time during my breaks. I tell him I'm doing stuff at the library when I'm actually going to see Julius. He must understand why we have to sneak around though, right? If more people knew... the nobility would make my life a living Hell. Julius, too._

But this situation gets me thinking... it's only a matter of time, right? Only a matter of time until we get exposed. What started ss a relationship only known about by me, Julius, Marx, Yami and William has expanded to my family, probably members of my hometown, Gareth, and even Fuegoleon, my soon-to-be-captain. All of them have sworn secrecy, but that doesn't account for the people that might stumble in at the wrong moment. And when that happened, word would spread exponentially. All of the sudden, all eyes would be on us, judging us. Well, probably just judging me. 

What would happen, in that case? Would I be punished? Publicly shamed? Would they force me to leave the magic knights in disgrace? Where was I supposed to go? I can't go home...

The thought of home suddenly fills my eyes with tears. I'm alone right now as I patrol the edge of the wall, so I let them fall freely. The wound on my heart is still fresh, painfully fresh. Even if I want to stay in contact with Lyra and the others, I know in my heavy heart that I can't return to that town. I don't want to see my so-called "mother" ever again. I have to remind myself that I did the right thing by leaving, even with these unforeseen consequences. I need to have faith in my future, now, faith in my abilities and faith in Julius. He told me that everything was going to be alright... but more than that...

_I'm proud of you._

The tears eventually quell, and I wipe my face. An unexpected smile graces my lips as I open my eyes again to look over the rolling landscape, stretching off into the mountains that make up the Diamond Kingdom. 

_He's proud of me, and I'm proud of me. One day, I'll build my own family. One day... our life will be simple. He was right, everything is going to be okay._

The hours go by fairly quickly, and I fare them well by myself. There's a lot on my mind to sift through, which I do as I pace my section of the wall over and over again. Eventually, dinner time rolls around, but I stay out anyway. I ate 10 strawberries for brunch and that seems to be all my body can take right now. _I haven't really eaten much since before that horrid dinner with my mother... It's not like I'm losing weight or anything, either, and most of the time I just forget. Maybe I should get that checked out?_ Darkness eventually falls over the city, and I watch the sun set over the western horizon. The stars start to peek out, just little specks of light far above. I sit with my legs dangling over the edge of the wall, watching the landscape vigilantly as I let my mind wander.

"We missed you at dinner."

I nearly fall off the wall in surprise as I hear the voice behind me. I look back to see Fuegoleon standing there, holding a plate of food. "Oh! I didn't expect you to come up here," I say with a smile, trying to keep things as normal as possible. "Is that for me?"

Fuegoleon mirrors my smile, looking a bit worn out. I'm sure he is, after these hectic two days. "Yeah, I assumed you would be hungry."

I don't have the heart to reject such a kind gesture, so I take the plate with a _thanks_ and start nibbling on a piece of bread. Fuegoleon stands there awkwardly for a moment before drawing in a breath. "Do you mind if I join you for a few minutes? The air is so clear up here."

"Uh, yeah, sure!" I keep my gaze trained on the horizon as he moves to sit next to me, his legs hanging off the edge just like mine. We sit there in silence for a long time, the only sound being my chewing. It's awkward... really awkward. Almost as awkward as that time "Fuegoleon" asked to give me a massage. I know he has questions, probably many of them. There's no doubt in my mind... between today and that time Julius dropped me off at the base, I'm sure he's figured everything out by now. Finally, I hear him draw in a breath and I brace myself for whatever he's about to say.

"...I assume you heard about my father and me."

Okay, could be worse. I quickly relax and look over at him. "Yeah, I did hear," I say, a little smile gracing my features. "Captain Fuegoleon... it has a nice ring to it."

Fuegoleon actually lets out a breath of laughter at that, seeming to relax as well. _"I assume..."_ That phrase told me everything I needed to know. "You agree with the decision?"

"Of course!" I turn towards him slightly. "I couldn't imagine it any other way! I haven't been here for long, but you've inspired me to work hard. I know the others feel the same way!"

"...It's nice, to hear that from you." Fuegoleon closes his eyes pensively for a moment, his smile widening. "To be honest, I have a million doubts right now. But it's good to know that I have your support."

I hum softly and look away, a little embarrassed. "I'm definitely not the _only_ one," I assure him, thinking that he was putting too much weight on my "endorsement." "I mean... like I said, I haven't been here very long."

"I know," he replies quickly. "But, all the same... you say that you're inspired by me, but the truth is that you inspire _me,_ as well." I blink, slowly letting his words sink in as he continues. "It's always nice to see new recruits that are eager to work and to improve, but you're different... you work hard, but it doesn't seem like work for you."

It was true... being a magic knight was a lot of hard work, but I enjoyed every minute of it. My whole life had been leading up to that goal, and finally achieving it was pure bliss. I was more than happy to work long hours and put myself in danger for the greater good.

"...You improve exponentially every time you fight. It's always a pleasure to fight alongside you, too, because... well..." He clears his throat. "You're someone who can be relied on... someone I know that is capable of taking care of themselves even if... if..."

There's a tightness to his voice as he starts to waver, and I look up to see that... he's blushing?!

_...oh no._

"Even if I _want_ to protect you."

I gulp, feeling flattered at his praise, but a noticeable ball of dread is starting to swell in my chest when I realize where the conversation is going. "...Thank you," I say before he can continue. "T-that means a lot, coming from my captain."

We both avoid each other's eyes for the next few moments. I can't take the tension anymore and decide to just come clean, but we end up speaking at the same time.

"Fuegoleon, about Julius-"  
"-I had a feeling-"

We both pause, staring at each other in shock. Then, Fuegoleon does the unexpected and laughs. "Sorry, go on?"

I blush and laugh along with him nervously. "Um, I think you already know what I'm going to say."

"...right." He clears his throat and lets out a sigh through his nose. "...I knew for a while, before I even saw you together yesterday." The admission is expected but I still feel mortified, my face and ears heating up tenfold. "I hate to admit it... but I denied it. I hoped it wasn't true."

I can think of two reasons why he felt that way, and I hoped to god that one of them was wrong. I can't take the guilt right now... 

"At first, I was worried about you. You're very young... and, uh, beautiful. There's a lot of men out there who would use their power to take advantage of your youth for their own personal gain. So, I was afraid that was what was going on. But I had to remind myself of two important facts... one: You're you, and you wouldn't just let yourself get pulled into that kind of thing. And two...: I've known Julius Novachrono for a long time, and I know that he's incapable of doing something so horrible." He sighs heavily his eyes closing again as he lets his head tilt forward, looking down the length of the city wall as I stare at him quietly. "...No one, not a commoner, noble, or even royal could ever hope to measure up when compared to him. I'm sorry that I let my personal feelings get in the way, and for undoubtedly making things awkward."

I stare at him in shock for a couple seconds, not really knowing what to say about all this. _Fuegoleon... are you saying..._

"...you're a really good man, Fuegoleon. Don't sell yourself short. And there's nothing to be sorry for!" He looks up to see me smiling brightly at him. I'm kind of relieved that he told me all of this, so I don't have to be guessing about his internal thoughts any more. "I promise... there's nothing bad going on with me. I'm... I'm more happy than I've ever been in my life. And I know, one day, you'll find someone who really deserves you."

There's one last spark of longing in his blue eyes as I say those words, but then it's gone. He smiles and smiles sheepishly. "Thank you... I'm glad you think that."

After that, things aren't so awkward. We laugh about it before going back to admiring the stars. "You know, I am still a bit curious about the whole thing," he teases lightly. "I mean... I never expected to see a two-month-old recruit get dropped off after curfew by the Wizard King! How did that even happen?"

I laugh sheepishly. "Ah, well... I actually met him before I joined the magic knights..."

I go on to explain the whole story: the attack on my town, the appearance of my mark, meeting Julius, joining the Crimson Lions, researching my heritage, and then...

"We got really close over those two months. And then there was the King's birthday, and I had to save them. He was there when I woke up... one thing lead to another, and..." I let out a nervous chuckle. "We've been seeing each other in secret. You can imagine the amount of uproar that would happen if the nobility found out."

"I sure can," Fuegoleon agrees. "Don't worry, he made me promise not to tell anyone."

I let out a sigh of relief, glad that he was on top of that. "Thank you! We figured it would be easier to come out in the open once I get more established, and rise in the ranks a bit."

He nods in agreement. "That's a good idea."

_That's right... I need to get way stronger. Not just to rise in the ranks, but so I can amplify my own magic with that spell._

"Can I ask for some advice?"

"Of course."

"Well... I need to get stronger. I won't go too far into it, but my mark is linked to a special magic that was once used by a civilization 100 years ago. I have a spell that allows me to share mana with someone, and amplify my own..." Fuegoleon raises an eyebrow, intrigued, but says nothing. "But I can't physically handle it right now. I want to become stronger and be able to wield more magic, but... I don't know how to do that other than what I'm doing right now." Honestly, I didn't know if continuing to go on missions and fight enemies was going to be enough.

"Hmm..." Fuegoleon doesn't ask any questions, just mulls over my problem in his head. "I actually know someone who could help you with that. She's an expert in mana control... I would be willing to let you go train with her for a while if you wanted."

My eyes widen excitedly. "Really?! Who is it?"

Fuegoleon gives me a knowing smile. "My sister... Mereoleona."

My mouth drops open. _You're kidding!_ Mereoleona, from all those years ago... I could get to meet her again, and even train with her! This was like a dream come true. "Y-you would let me do that?"

"Of course," he replies without hesitation. "Our hands are going to be full with our new members soon, since the exam is coming up, so we can spare you for as long as you need."

 _As long as I need?_ For the first time, my goal of mastering this new ability seems like it's within my grasp. I almost want to burst into tears of joy, but I swallow them down. "Fuegoleon... thank you!" Without thinking, I give him a hug, which he quickly returns, if not a little stiffly. He lets out a chuckle before standing up and holding his hand out.

"Come on... you've stayed out here long enough. I'll get someone else to take your shift so you can get a drink."

Without the weight of tension between us, it's easy to grab his hand and be pulled to my feet. There was no doubt about it now... 

Fuegoleon was my friend. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time... Chapter 35: the Lioness. Fuegoleon is officially promoted, and MC gets to meet her long-lost inspiration, Mereoleona. How will this play out?


	35. the lioness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. this chapter ended up being a bit shorter just bc I wanted to churn it out. Enjoy!
> 
> 2\. Also thank you guys for all the support once again. Your comments are what keep me going lol. I get very insecure about my writing so every little thing helps. I love ya'll

Going to the castle was always fun for one reason or another, but today I'm particularly excited. Every member of the Crimson Lion Kings file down the hallways in small groups, chatting excitedly among ourselves. Many of them have never been inside the castle, so they stare around at the high ceilings and colorful stained glass with awe. I walk in the middle of the group silently, smiling to myself a little. _Fuegoleon... this is your big day!_

I'm feeling a bit nervous on his behalf, but also for myself. According to Fuegoleon, his whole family would be present at the ceremony, including his older sister Mereoleona. The woman spent 300 days of the year out in the wilderness, communing with nature and strengthening her magic. She wasn't just a great warrior, she was also a great explorer who had conquered many dungeons in the strong magic region to the west. And now... I have to ask her to take me along and train me. Would she remember me? Or would she just refuse? The whole situation is a little stressful... but Fuegoleon assured me before that it would be alright.

The great hall is full of people by the time we all manage to fit inside. I crane my neck to see a group of red-haired people all standing up at the front. There's a woman that must be Lady Vermillion, her hand clamped down firmly on her youngest son Leopold's shoulder as he tries to run off again and again. There's another group of relatives there, too, with just two children: A ginger, teenaged boy who seems to consider himself above this whole spectacle, and a cute little girl who can't be any older than Noelle. The Silva's are there too, standing a few meters away in their own area. I notice once again that Noelle isn't present.

Suddenly, the door swings open and a woman storms in. She's still wearing a travelling cloak and looks dirty, her eyes darting around the room full of people. There's a restrained gasp from someone behind me as I suddenly recognize her face _"That woman! That's Lady Mereoleona!"_

She doesn't look much different than when I last saw her, just a bit taller and older. She walks over to the rest of her family. Leopold immediately wrenches himself from his mother's grasp and jumps on his big sister with a fit of giggles. "Leona! You're here!"

"Brat! You can't just jump on people!" she barks, but can't help but smile a little. "You've gotten bigger since I last saw you!"

"I'm going to be able to beat you up soon!"

The two descend into raucous laughter, and I remember how Fuegoleon said that Leo was a lot more like Mereoleona than he was like his older brother. That was an accurate statement, to say the least.

The doors open to allow Julius, Fernanleon, and Fuegoleon to enter, and silence descends upon the hall out of respect. Captainships are handed over only once in a generation, so this is a pretty big deal. The ceremony doesn't last long. Julius gives Fernan an award for his years of service, then promotes Fuegoleon to Grand Magic Knight, the highest rank other than that of Wizard King. "From this day forward, you will serve as the Captain of the Magic Knights squad: the Crimson Lion Kings. Do you vow to honor this position and give your all to the defense of the Clover Kingdom?"

"I do," Fuegoleon responds simply, his voice bursting with pride.

The room erupts in applause as he salutes the Wizard King before turning to everyone else. We salute in response, still cheering for our new captain. Fuegoleon is basically beaming, more so than I've ever seen him do so before. I clap along with everyone else, barely able to contain my joy. It's been about two months since we had our heart-to-heart, and I'm so glad that we were still able to be friends and support each other as comrades. I can be proud of him, as one of my best friends.

A lunch is provided to us afterwards, but I spend most of the time standing by myself, hiding behind a drink as I glance over at Mereoleona. Fuegoleon has been wrapped up in other conversations and hasn't had a chance to introduce us yet. I'm definitely not brave enough to approach her on my own, either. _She looks so cool... I don't think she would ever want to train me, what was I thinking?_

Not even a minute later, Fuegoleon suddenly appears and grabs my arm. "Come on," he encourages, noting the nervous look on my face. "It'll be fine, she doesn't bite. Well, er-" he clears his throat. "Not often."

I try my best to swallow the butterflies in my stomach and let him pull me over to his family. They all turn to look at me suspiciously, all but Fernan. He lets out a warm laugh. "What do you think? Will Fuegoleon do a good job?"

I gulp and try to ignore the many pairs of eyes trained on me. "Ah, of course! He's going to do great!"

"Everyone, this is one of my squadmates," Fuegoleon introduces. "She's been a great asset so far, and has risen in the ranks very quickly." He turns to his sister, who's been staring at me silently. "Leona, I believe the two of you have met before."

"Have we?" Mereoleona narrows her eyes as she stares at me for another minute. Then, her mouth breaks into a grin and she laughs. "It's you!" she bursts out, pointing at me. "You're that nosy brat from that town in the sticks!"

I blush a little. "Yeah... we _are_ in the common realm, you know."

Mereoleona dismisses the claim, still smirking. "So you did join the Magic Knights! And my brother's squad as well! I knew you had it in you."

I relax a little, blushing a bit more. "Oh, thank you! T-that means a lot-"

"Leona," Fuegoleon quietly cuts in. "She's the one I told you about-"

My eyes widen a bit at his words. _H-he talked to her about me before?! AH!! How embarrassing!!_

Fuegoleon shoves a glass of wine into Mereoleona's hand. "Here... you two go out on the veranda and talk about it. I'll be back later." And just like that, he leaves the two of us alone in an awkward silence. Mereoleona shrugs and beckons. "Come on, then."

Suddenly, we're both stopped as someone walks in front of us. I look up to see Julius smiling down at the two of us. "Mereoleona Vermillion! It's been a while."

"Lord Julius," she replies respectfully, restraint in her gruff voice for once. Even such an untamed woman seems to hold him in such high regard. "It's good to see you."

Julius redirects his attention to me, offering a slightly warmer smile. "Enjoying yourself?"

That remains to be seen, but I nod eagerly anyway. "Y-Yeah... you?"

"...yeah, so far, so good." Julius glances between me and Mereoleona and picks up that I'm nervous. With a knowing smile, he hands me the drink in his hand, his meaning clear: _I think you're going to need this._

"Ah, thank you." I give him a nod before getting dragged away once again. I'm silently freaking out to myself as we walk off by ourselves towards the veranda. The afternoon is hot and clear, the sun blazing down on us while a weak breeze blows by. What am I supposed to say?! I don't know what Fuegoleon told her before so I don't want to reiterate anything. She's so powerful and intimidating, and I don't know what to do-

"My fool of a brother seems to admire you a lot," Mereoleona suddenly says, drawing me out of my frantic mind. I glance up at her to see that her expression has softened a bit. "Despite his hard-headedness, he's good at picking dependable people to be by his side."

My nerves dissipate at the encouragement in her voice. In a way, my story began when I met her... I never would have considered joining the Magic Knights. Even though I failed the first time, I met William. Without his support, I wouldn't have mustered the courage to stand up to my mother, even after my magic strengthened. "...I know we only met once," I finally reply. "But... I just want to say thank you. I couldn't have got this far without you."

Mereoleona lets out a chuckle. "No need to thank me... the steps you took were your own. Fuegoleon says that you need my help, is that true?"

I gulp nervously. "Yeah... I know you spend a lot of time out in the strong magic regions training, so I was wondering if-"

"You don't need it."

"Huh?" I look back up at her as she interrupts me, looking out over the city. The wind blows through her red hair slightly, giving her a more calming aura that before.

"I mean... I'm not _sure_ you need it." She looks back down at me, a twinkle in her eye. "I never thought I would run into you again, but here we are. You've impressed me; that's an accomplishment in an of itself. You've joined the best squad, risen in the ranks, accumulated merit... you won your captain's respect, and a little more than respect from the Wizard King as well."

 _Hmm?_ _What's that supposed to mean?!_ I open my mouth to defend myself, but Mereoleona cuts me off with a loud laugh. "Don't waste your breath. Two seconds, and I could tell."

I go pale. _T-two seconds?!! Is that all it took?! Hopefully she's just more perceptive than other people..._

"Also, he'd already had some of that drink, a total stranger wouldn't just hand that to you." She chuckles again. "Anyway... you've proven yourself, and your path already seems to be forming ahead of you. Unless there's something you haven't told me?"

"... there is..." I take a quick breath before speaking again. "I have a spell that allows me to amplify my magic. However, whenever I use it, it's horribly painful and scary. I think, if I got stronger, maybe I could actually use it."

Mereoleona swirls her drink briefly, considering my words. "... I don't think your problem is _strength..._ you're having trouble concentrating and controlling large amounts of mana," she says. "That's interesting..." She grins at last. "...and definitely something I can help you with!"

My eyes light up. This is great! In just a few moments, Mereoleona rationalized the problem perfectly, and now even offered to help! "You really would help me?"

"Why not? It'll break up the monotony," she replied heartily, slapping me on the back. "Of course, I'll be your 'captain' during that time so you better listen to everything I say!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Let's go tell my brother. I'll be stealing you for a while."

"A while?"

"Eh. A month and a half."

"A month and a half?!"

Fuegoleon, however, is fully in support. "A month and a half is fine, we're going to have our hands full with our new recruits soon, anyway." The next exam was in just a week, and I would hate to miss it but this opportunity was too good to pass up. "I'll give you two months of training leave just in case."

"Thank you!" I bow my head a little, gratefully, barely able to contain my joy. Even though I might miss out on some missions and stars, this will work out in the long run. There hasn't been any activity on the Diamond Border, either, so we probably won't have a crisis while I'm gone. _Two months of training... I'm going to get so strong!_

We hear the sound of a crashing plate, and look around to see the trio of younger Vermillions gathered around the remains. 

"Leopold! That was an ugly display," the teenage boy scolded pompously. The little girl looked like she was about to cry. "Pick this up and once and get Mimosa a beautiful new plate!"

"Mimosa?" I repeat, blinking as I watch them. "I didn't know you had more siblings."

"They're my cousins," Fuegoleon corrects. "Kirsch is a bit... much, but Mimosa's a sweet girl. Her magic is already pretty strong for a girl her age."

"I see..." I watch for another moment, but then get startled by two large hands grabbing my shoulders. "Eek!"

"Hey! You're not busy after this, are you?" I look up to see Julius smiling down at me cryptically, but I understand him loud and clear. I open my mouth to respond, but get interrupted once again. 

"As a matter of fact, she is," Mereoleona says. "You need to get ready, you're leaving on your hike first thing tomorrow morning."

Both Julius and I frown at the answer. "Leaving?" he repeats. 

"Hike?" I have a bad feeling about this. 

Mereoleona chuckles at our reaction. "I'll give you the details later, but you're going to meet me in the strong magic region in about two weeks. In that time, you'll walk from the capital to that spot."

"Walk? Why?" I object. "Can't I just take a broom? Or-"

"No. You're walking," she orders, silencing my resistance. "It builds character. Just pack enough water and you'll be fine."

I gulp, not so sure about that. I've never gone on a walk that long, and now I practically have to go across the entire kingdom?

Julius laughs nervously, his grip on my shoulder tightening. "Ah, a training trip? Um, for how long-"

"A month and a half," Mereoleona cuts in.

He cringes visibly but quickly recovers. "Hm, delightful... er, Fuegoleon, you're okay with all this?"

Fuegoleon nods without hesitation. "Of course. It's common for magic knights to take a development sabbatical."

That doesn't seem to make Julius feel any better, so I take control of the situation. "Well, I'll talk to you about it after lunch. It was good to see you again!"

Mereoleona smiles and says "likewise" before I get dragged off out of sight by Julius in the least-suspicious manner he can manage. We make it out of the room and into the hall before he releases me and turns to scowl a little. "So... what's going on?"

"I'm going to train myself for a month and a half," I reiterate. The way he's acting is making me a bit nervous for some reason. "I didn't get to tell you before, because I wasn't sure it was going to actually happen." His face softens a bit as I explain, but he still looks worry. "This is something I've been wanting to do for a while... I need to get stronger." I want so badly to be able to wield the power I've been blessed with, and to explore the side that involved him as well. I know that he'll freak out if I tell him that much, though. "I want to rise in the ranks quickly, so we can stop sneaking around so much."

"Ah, well," Julius smiles a little. "If you needed a promotion..."

I hit him playfully on the arm. "Julius, you said you wouldn't give me special treatment."

"I know, I know!" He chuckles before getting serious again. "If you really want to do this... I don't have any right to stop you. But a month and a half?" He pouts cutely. "I'm going to miss you!"

I let out a sigh, knowing that this was probably the main problem. For such an all-powerful, influential man, Julius sure is clingy! "Hey, it'll be over before you know it," I assure him, stepping closer and rubbing his arm gently. "I'm going to miss you too."

Julius sighs and leans into my touch before giving in and wrapping his arms around me tightly. "A month and a half... you might get back on my birthday," he says, pulling back slightly to look at my face. "So... you'd better be back by then! That's an order."

I giggle a little at that, leaning up to peck his lips. "Yes sir! I'll be your birthday present."

Now _that_ gets him interested, causing his smile to widen and his hands to slide a bit farther down than they should. "Mmm, I like the sound of that," he replies finally, leaning in to give me a proper kiss. I kiss him back eagerly, forgetting for a moment that we're in the hallways right outside the luncheon. I run a hand through his sandy-blonde hair, moving my lips against his leisurely. "Are you sure you can't stay after?" Julius asks, opening his eyes. "This doesn't seem like a proper goodbye."

"It's not goodbye... it's _see you later."_ He lets out a little laugh at the response. "You can work without a distraction for once."

"I suppose." Julius sighs and hesitantly lets go of me, giving my hand one more squeeze. "Come on, we don't want our joint absence to be noticed!"

"No, definitely not." We share one more laugh before turning to rejoin the party. 

_It's gonna be hard to leave you for so long, Julius... but I promise it'll be worth it! I'll come back stronger than I was before so I can keep making you proud._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time... Chapter 36: the demon. The long hike to the strong magic regions begins, but our main character is in desperate need of some inspiration. Perhaps she'll find it in an unlikely place?


	36. the demon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Hey so I'm definitely coming down with something so I might have to take a couple days longer off than I normally do, I hope to be back ASAP!
> 
> 2\. Also I had some trouble writing the first part of this chapter but I hope ya'll like how it ended up. :)

"What the Hell have I gotten myself into?"

That's really the only phrase running circles through my head as I set off on my journey early the next morning. I packed a bag the night before with enough water to last a couple days, a blanket, knife, and pillow. I still haven't had the chance to talk to a doctor about my waning appetite, and I consider leaving without any food since there's really no point, but I end up throwing some bread in the bag anyway. It couldn't hurt.

The sun isn't up when I leave, the city streets cloaked in a blue-tinted darkness. I said my goodbyes to Fuegoleon last night when I was packing. Apparently Mereoleona left earlier than I did by broom, so she would arrive at our meeting place first. I'm a little annoyed that I have to walk the whole way, but my decision was already made; I was going to do this, no matter how hard it ended up being!

I left my squad robe in my room so I wouldn't attract attention as I walked, since I didn't want any distractions. I left my usual outfit at home as well, opting for some more simple pants and a shirt under the travelling cloak. _I look like a hermit,_ I think to myself as a few people stare at me. 

Before I know it, the city starts to wane, and soon I'm walking through the countryside of the common realm. The green, rolling hills are refreshing, as is the cool breeze rushing up the sides. I manage to smile to myself as I walk. Maybe this won't be so bad.

"MaYBe tHIS won'T Be sO BAd," I mockingly say to myself several hours later as I pull off my boot. Lo and behold, several blisters have popped up on my skin, clustered around my heel. I curse myself quietly as I pull out some bandages and start to wrap my foot. If only I knew healing magic! This was going to be a long, long walk...

The next few miles are pretty agonizing as I limp along. Eventually, I'm forced to find a sturdy branch to use as a walking stick. The sun is at its peak now, blazing down mercilessly, but the road twists into a forest to save me from the worst of it.

"Hey! Geezer, slow down for us, will ya?"

Uh oh. I turn around to spot three ominous-looking men approaching me from behind. I didn't pass them before, and I have no idea how long they've been following me. _Bandits?_ They stop in their tracks when they see my face. "Not a geezer... even better! A woman!" one of them sneers. "Give us all of our valuables!"

"And take off your clothes while you're at it!" his buddy adds with a devious giggle. _What a comedian._ I really can't be bothered with this right now so I turn around and just start walking away. 

"Oi! Who do you think you are?" a bandit growls before they take off in pursuit. "You want to die?"

I already have my Grimoire in my hand when I turn around to scowl at them disapprovingly. They falter for just a moment before drawing their own. "Alright, you asked for it, lady! Don't blame us if we mess up that pretty face!"

"Flame Magic: Flaming Condor," I say calmly, holding out my hand. The spell immediately takes form and dives towards my attackers. Two of them manage to jump out of the way, but the third, the leader, is hit right in the chest. "OOF!" He goes flying, the wind knocked out of him, and rolls to a stop a couple meters away. His two lackies look between me and him as the spell dissipates into smoke, being blown away by the wind.

"...turn back. I'm a magic knight." With that, I turn around and keep walking in the direction of my goal. I can hear them whispering as I walk. _"A magic knight? Let's get out of here!"_

_"No way... we need the money! Otherwise-"_

I draw in a heavy sigh before turning around to glare at them. "Look, are you about to go hungry or something?" I demand. The two men are aghast and unable to reply right away. I roll my eyes, taking that as a yes, then rummage through my bag. "Here... I'm not going to eat this anyway." I toss them my pack of bread before turning and storming off. Luckily, that's the end of that interaction and they don't bother me again.

The sun starts to set so it's time to find a safe place to sleep. Mereoleona forbade me from sleeping under a roof during this hike, but I'm not near a village right now anyway so I'm not tempted. I _am_ a bit worried, however, about the strange howling noises I've been hearing in the woods as the moon starts to come up. If there are wolves in these parts, I could very well end up having my throat ripped out in my sleep. Not only would it suck to bleed out alone in the middle of the forest, but Julius would undoubtedly be upset. Luckily, there's an abandoned shed with the roof caved in and a picket fence around the perimeter. Technically, I won't be sleeping under a roof. And anyway, the shed is completely covered with weeds and moss so nature has definitely "reclaimed" it. Without wasting another second, I lay down on my blanket and stare up at the night sky as I wait for sleep to come.

So far, so good... but I did get several blisters and almost attacked by bandits. Maybe I should have just asked Julius for a promotion straight up after all...

* * *

_A delicious smell wafts in from the kitchen. Giggling, I crawl down the stairs and peer around the door to see my mother working hard at the stove. She's humming a sweet melody to herself. I waste no time in wobbling over to her and clutching her skirts. "Mama!"_

_She looks down at me and her face erupts into a smile. "Wanna see what I'm cooking?"_

_I nod eagerly, and she picks me up. My eyes widen when I see the pancakes in the frying pan. "Yummy!"_

_"Yummy? Is she talking about you?"_

_We look around as Dad shows up, wrapping an arm around my mother and giving her a teasing kiss. She giggles and turns away. "Stop that! I'm talking about the pancakes, you fiend!"_

_"Oh! My bad!" He chuckles and ruffles my hair. "You better make a lot... you're eating for two now, after all."_

* * *

I replay the dream over and over in my head the next day as I continue my hike. I haven't had a dream that vivid in a long time... it felt so real, like I could actually smell the scents and hear my parents' voices. The memory brings tears to my eyes as I walk along alone.

I reach the border of the forsaken realm that evening, and pause for a moment as I do. I've been out this far a couple of times, for missions and whatnot, but I've never spent a lot of time here. This is where all the actual peasants live, people born with poor magic who are forced to live their lives farming and subsisting on whatever they can't sell. I remember something Julius told me, how everyone in the Kingdom has potential no matter what class they're born in. And my conversation with Fuegoleon, back during the Star Festival... even a peasant could become the Wizard King if they had the power and ambition.

But how likely was that to happen?

 _Well... I got this far, didn't I? There was a time where I thought my life was already planned out and decided for me. Things can happen unexpectedly..._ I frown at the ground as I walk. _But what I want to achieve might take nothing less than a miracle. I have a bad feeling that even this training trip won't be enough to let me use that spell. I'm afraid that I never will be able to wield it._

It's not until the next morning that my stomach growls. It's been three whole days since I last ate anything, and I'm only now getting hungry? Something's definitely up. I foolishly gave away my one food item to avoid being attacked, so now I have nothing but my limited botanical knowledge to help me forage. I find a bush with a bunch of purple berries on it that look appetizing enough. They taste a little sour but fill my stomach, so I leave it at that and keep walking.

Twenty minutes later, I'm throwing up into a bush. Fuck. How did I know this would happen?

_Yeah, I definitely should have just asked Julius for a promotion!!! What was I thinking?!_

I'm forced to make a detour to some village where I buy some meat and a bottle of much-needed beer. I eat in on the go and stuff the bottle in my bag to avoid littering. I find a nice meadow by a riverbank where I lay down for a night of restless sleep. Those berries really did a number on me.

For the next couple days of my hike, I don't encounter anything too strange. That is... until I reach the very outskirts of the kingdom. This is what they call the "boonies," for sure... there's nothing but flat fields and a few hills and forests. I can see the outline of a tiny village to the west, but that's not the thing that makes me stop in my tracks out of shock.

"...holy fuck..."

A giant, unearthly skull sits silently on the horizon, empty sockets staring into nothingness. Two humongous horns spiral up into the afternoon sky, moss and age apparent upon the bones. 

I stand there, my jaw dropped, for nearly 15 minutes, just staring at it in awe. I've never seen anything so big in my entire life, and I've seen some pretty big things. What on earth left that skull behind? There's no way... unless...

_In that old story my mom used to tell... the first Wizard King defeated a gigantic demon and saved the world. Could this be the skull of that demon?_

I spot a figure standing up way on top. Someone actually managed to climb up there? It's starting to get dark anyway, so I decide to make a detour and check it out for myself. After a few minutes walk, I reach the base of the skull, which is somehow even larger up close. I start to circle the structure, looking for a way up, but find nothing obvious. Resorting to using magic, I summon Flaming Condor and balance on its back as I finally manage to float up to the top. It's a little nerve-wracking, being so high, but the skull is pretty stable once I step onto it. 

Turns out, the figure isn't actually a person... it's a statue. I narrow my eyes as I examine it. The man it depicts seems to be pretty young, and wears a crown on his head. The first wizard king, perhaps?

With a heavy sigh, I sit down nearby and rest my head on my knees as the sun sets in the west, directly behind the skull. The skull casts a huge shadow that cloaks everything in front of it. _Out there... that's the strong magic region,_ I think to myself. _And beyond that... the Spade Kingdom._ I turn back east to stare off at the distant hill where I know the castle is. Julius is over there, theoretically, although I wouldn't be surprised if he was actually wandering around somewhere else to avoid work, as he often does. _I'm sure he's doing alright... Well, I hope he is at least._

Yawning, I finally spread out my blanket and lay down, closing my eyes. It turned out to be really nice, sleeping out in the open like this. Who else could say that they've slept on top of a demon skull, anyway?

* * *

_My eyes flicker open, and I'm back in my room at the base. Sunlight streams into my room through the window, but I can't bring myself to get up. It's so nice and warm..._

_Someone snores._

_"Julius?"_

_He's still sleeping next to me, curled up around my body in the twin bed. He promised that he would slip away quietly after I fell asleep last night, but apperently there was a change of plans. With a sigh, I reach up and trace my fingers across his forehead, around the star-shaped mark. "Julius... Marx is going to get mad."_

_"...who cares..." he mumbles through his sleep. I can feel each of his breaths across the skin of my cheek. "...I don't want to move..."_

_"Alright." I smile and kiss his lips softly, causing them to curl into a sleepy smile._

_This feels... so real._

_"I wish... you could stay with me. I want to wake up like this every morning."_ _His eyes blink open to stare at me as he speaks, fogged with exhaustion. His words surprise me a little, but I don't say anything. "...you..."_

_His eyes close as sleep overtakes him, his voice trailing off into a snore._

_For some reason, I start to cry. I blink the tears out of my eyes, but when I look back at him, he's gone._

_That's right... no matter what he says, he's always going to be far away. And no matter what I do, or how hard I work, I'll never be able to be his equal. I'll never..._

_What is it I want anyway? What can I even hope for at this point? I wanted to leave my home and become and magic knight, and I did that. I wanted Julius to fall in love with me, and he did. At one point, I thought those two things would make me feel complete, but... now they don't. Because, in order to be with Julius, I need to rise on the ranks and gain the respect of nobility. It's a terrible uphill struggle. And this power I have, I need to master it. If I do, I will have conquered something ancient within myself. But if I don't..._

_Will he leave me behind if I can't catch up? What then? Become a captain? Become the Wizard King? I don't even know if that's possible for me..._

_Is it already over?_

_Whenever Julius is with me, everything seems right, but now I'm alone... am I finally starting to see the truth?_

_Am I done?_

...

* * *

"N-

"NOT YET!"

The most shrill, loud voice I've ever heard rips me from my panicked sleep. I sit up with a yell, heart pounding, and look around. I'm still alone, save for the statue behind me, tears still wet on my face. But... that voice? Where did it come from? Did I imagine it?

"TWO-HUNDRED THIRTY-FOUR! TWO-HUNDRED THIRTY-FIVE!"

Nope, definitely didn't imagine it. Someone is screaming at this god-forsaken hour of the morning. With a groan, I stand up and look around, trying to pinpoint the source of the noise. It seems to be coming from below me, somehow from inside the skull. Curious, I pack up my blanket and start to climb my way down, not wanting to be seen. The person sounds like they're almost in pain, like a dying animal, if you will. I wince every time they start up again, counting up and up. Finally, I jump down onto one of the jawbones, where I have a pretty good view of the hollow inside of the skull. Sunlight creeps in through the cracks in the bone, forming a dark, wet ecosystem within. There are plenty of trees and rocks scattered around, everything covered in vines and moss. The open mouth forms an entrance into this secret area, where I finally spot the source of the horrible noise.

"THREE-HUNDRED SIXTEEN! THREE-HUNDRED SEVENTEEN!"

A little boy, no more than 9 years old, is down there, screaming with every push up he does. He's so sweaty, his grey hair sticking to his forehead under a poorly-preforming headband. He's dressed like a peasant, but has the voice of a whole army of people. I sit there for a while and watch, a little perplexed. What's he doing? Where are his parents? He seems to be really into this whole working out thing...

"Asta! There you are."

Another voice calls from the entrance, and I look over to see another young boy walking in. He's a bit taller and has black hair. "Asta! You can't just disappear without telling us where you're going!"

"Asta" pauses his push ups and finally sits up to grin at his friend. "Sorry! I wanted to get started on my exercise before the sun came up. Look, Yuno!" He holds up his arm and flexes. "I'm going to be strong in no time! Then, maybe my magic can kick in."

Yuno lets out a sigh. "Well... come back soon. Sister Lily is making breakfast."

"Okay!"

Asta goes back to push ups and Yuno leaves. Neither of them notices me in my perch as I take in the conversation I just heard. 

_"Then, maybe my magic can kick in."_

That boy... I can't feel any mana coming off of him. Does he really have no magic at all? I've never heard of anyone like that before, not even peasants.

To be born in this world, where magic is everything, with none at all, must surely be a curse. And yet...

"FOUR HUNDRED! AAAAAAAAA!"

I cover my ears as the boy lets out a victory screech and jumps to his feet. 

"Take that! I'll be stronger than you in no time, Yuno... then, I'll be the one to become the Wizard King!" With that, he runs off out of the entrance and disappears. 

A much-needed silence descends upon the area, unnaturally still after the ruckus of the previous moments. I sit there, taking it all in... and then, despite myself... I start to laugh.

 _That kid! He's a peasant, he doesn't even have any magical powers! And he thinks he's going to be the_ Wizard King?!

I cover my mouth as I remember what Fuegoleon said before. Anyone, even a peasant, could become the Wizard King if they had the power and ambition. But someone without ANY power? Was that possible?

 _Even if it's not possible... I heard what he said. And I know he meant it. If someone like him is still willing to work hard towards their goal and not give up hope..._ I let out a deep breath and let a smile grace my features.

_Then so can I!_

I jump down from my perch, remembering that today's the day I'm supposed to be meeting Mereoleona out in the strong magic regions to the east. I'm so close now, only an hour or so of running and I'll be there! The morning sun feels good on my skin as I turn away from the little village and leave the giant demon skull behind me.

_I'm definitely not done..._

_not yet!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time... chapter 37: the Training Montage. MC gets taught a slew of new mana-control techniques. Will this be enough to strengthen her powers? And why is Mereoleona acting so strange?


	37. the training montage part 1 (*)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Whirlwind training arc lol
> 
> 2\. Julius being a crackhead as usual 👀
> 
> 3\. Still feeling kinda sick oof

"That took you long enough!"

I gape up at Mereoneona as she glares down at me. The area we're meeting at is at the very edge of the forsaken realm, where mountains and craggy rocks creep up over the horizon. It's starting to get a bit cold up here. I'm not exactly sure why Mereoleona is made at me, but she is. "What? You told me to meet you today-"

"When I say _today,_ I mean yesterday!" Mereoleona barks. "First Mereoleona rule: always be early to everything." She cracks her knuckles and looks me up and down. "That bring said... I'm surprised you made it out here at all. I thought a weakling like you would have turned back in the common realm!"

I sniff indignantly. "I-I'm not weak!" I object, pulling up my sleeve and flexing my "bicep." "Look at this!"

Mereoleona laughs in my face. "Oh really? Look at this!" She pulls up her own sleeve and flexes her arm. Fuck! She's ripped! I meekly drop my own arm back to my side. "You have a long way to go... but that's why you're here, right?" I look back up to see her smiling, flashing off her one sharp tooth. "That hike was just the first level... I hope you're ready to start week 2 of Mereoleona Vermillion's 6 week Boot Camp!"

... oh boy. It's going to be a long trip...

**Week 2**

"Get in the river! We're going to catch some fish!"

"What?!" 

Mereoleona isn't the kind of woman who likes to repeat herself. She got me up really early in the morning for a workout, and now she wants me to just grab a fish out of the water? Like a bear? "You heard me! Jump in, or I'll push you in."

I momentarily forget that I don't actually know how to swim, but that fear is nothing compared to the fear of disobeying this woman. Without a second thought, I dive right in and immediately swallow a gallon of water. It's freezing and I start to panic. "Eek! I'm drowning!" I thrash my arms and legs around uselessly, trying to generate some kind of thrust. Swimming looks so easy! But I never got the chance to try it back home. All those years, wasted... and now I'm going to drown, far away from my home, with no witnesses but an insane beast of a woman.

"For God's sake!"

I feel something warm grab me by the head and hoist me up. I look up to see that it's some kind of fiery appendage that stretches out from Mereoleona's body, a spell. "Straighten your legs!" I do so, and she lowers me back into the water. I tense up, ready to be released, but then my feet hit the riverbed. It's rocky, and very stable. Mereoleona releases me at last, and I realize that I'm a good 2 feet taller than the depth of the water. 

"...oh..." I say, feeling like a fool.

Mereoleona lets out a sigh and jumps in with me. "I refuse to be associated with someone who doesn't know how to swim, so we'll focus on that later. For now... catch a fish!"

I'm not exactly sure what to do, but I can figure that out as I go along I suppose. Turning around, I scan the water and notice a school of little fish swimming by really fast. I try to snatch one, but the school breaks perfectly around my hand to avoid the motion. "Come on!" I seethe, trying again and again. The slippery bastards don't even let me touch them!

"Why don't you use your brain?" Mereoleona tells me. She's being a bit harsh but she warned me that she would be. I'm not here to have a good time, after all. "You're here to get better at controlling mana, aren't you? So use your damn magic!"

She has a very good point. "Alright..." I'm not exactly sure how fire magic is supposed to help in an aquatic environment, though... it's literally the thing my attribute is weak to. However... I start to get an idea. Closing my eyes, I let my body release its magic into the water around me, and I feel it start to heat up. More and more.

"Be careful... if you heat up this whole river, you'll kill everything," Mereoleona warns. I nod and squeeze my eyes shut tighter, concentrating on controlling the heat to only the area directly around me. The mana is condensed in the smaller area, strengthening and pushing at the boundary I set. _Stay here... stay close..._ I hear the sound of bubbles as the water starts to boil. _Hotter... hotter..._

Finally, I open my eyes to see that the water around me is rolling with its boil, just in the area directly around me. An unlucky fish swims into the diameter and immediately dies, floating up to the surface. With a short gasp, I quickly stem my magic, allowing the water to cool down. I reach out and grab the fish, staring at it for a moment. "I-I killed it?"

Mereoleona laughs and is suddenly right next to me, swinging an arm around my shoulder. "Hell yeah! It's a big one too. Looks like we'll be eating fish for dinner tonight!"

She made me build the fire from scratch that night, even though I could have easily just started it with my magic. All the while, she was thinking to herself.

_She was able to control her power, concentrating it to the water right around her. A little more practice, and she'll be able to use mana skin. That's a vital step if she's going to be able to control that strange power of hers. That reminds me... I need to get her somewhere where she's forced to let everything loose._

I look up to see Mereoleona smirking to herself. "What?"

_And I know just the place._

**Week 3**

I can't see the bottom of this hole, but I have a feeling there's something ominous waiting for us down there. "...this is a dungeon?"

"What, you've never been in a dungeon before?" I shake my head, and Mereoleona rolls her eyes. "You've been a magic knight for a year and you haven't even explored a dungeon? Fuegoleon has failed you!"

She has a point, but I'm not going to let her bad-mouth Fuegoleon like that. "Hey! He had me do loads of important stuff other than exploring dungeons, you know! We-"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure. But today-" She suddenly grabs me by the arm and starts dragging me towards the edge. I let out a strangled scream of fear when I realize what's about to happen.

"-you're going into a dungeon!"

Without any hesitation, she chucks me over the side of the bottomless pit. 

Maybe I should have expected this to happen, but that doesn't help the wave of panic I feel as I fall, screaming, to what I assume could be my death. Mereoleona's smirking face zooms out of sight, and I'm on my own. _Wait! I've been in a position like this before, haven't I?_ With a grunt, I turn over and open my Grimoire. "Fire Magic, Flaming Condor!"

The walls of the hole glow blue as the spell comes to life. I grab onto the bird's legs and it spreads its wings, acting like a parachute and slowing my fall. There, at least I won't die! At least not yet... I still can't see the bottom, which is very worrying. Was there really a dungeon to explore down in here? Or did it just lead straight to hell? At this point, I'm close to believing the latter.

It also seems like I'm about to find the answer, because my spell suddenly weakens, spluttering out. "Ah! NO!" I cry out as I'm suddenly falling again. _What the heck? The deeper I go, the harder it is to control... is this beca-_

I hit water, instantly submerged. Remembering my swimming lessons last weak, I tread my arms and legs through the water until my head breaks the surface again. I gasp and do my best to stay afloat, my Grimoire clutched in my hand for dear life. After blinking water out of my eyes, I start to adjust to the darkness. The chamber I'm in is full of pitch black water, the sides made of smooth brick. The most disturbing fact is that there's no exit or way to get out. 

"Here I come!"

Mereoleona elegantly splashes into the water next to me, bobbing to the surface a moment later. "You survived! Good for you!"

"NO thanks to you!" I shoot back, looking up. The entrance is just a speck of light way up above now. "This is a dungeon?! I thought there was like, treasure in dungeons or something?"

"There is," she responds cheekily. "We just have to find it. That's the challenge! They're not just going to leave it out on the doormat for us to find."

She has a point. I sigh and look around again, the gears in my head turning. "Also... why is it so hard to use magic down here?"

"This is the strong magic region, remember?" Mereoleona says. "There's areas that produce so much natural mana, it suffocates our own. It takes a huge amount of power and simultaneous control to be able to do anything. This dungeon is dank with dense earth mana, especially in this deep area."

Wonderful, but it makes sense now why she brought me down here. If any place is going to force me to learn control in the face of overwhelming mana, it's a place like this. 

"...alright. Anyway, as for the exit-" The words suddenly catch in my throat as I feel a horrible sensation. "Uh... Mereoleona?"

"What now?"

"...something just touched my leg."

Mereoleona raises an eyebrow, before her mouth splits into a wide grin. "...now... this just got interesting!"

The water suddenly breaks violently as a worm-like creature rears its head up. I scream and paddle away, but Mereoleona has another idea. " _Calidus Brachium!"_ Her fist catches on fire as she hits the worm with a ferocious uppercut, sending it flying into the wall. I watch in awe at the spectacle. _She can use that much magic in here?! How?_

As if she can read my mind, she turns to look at me. "Sense the mana coming off of me?" she says, and I focus in on it. Indeed... she has an enormous amount of mana concentrated around her body, barely separated from her own skin. It's almost like a second skin...

"This is _mana skin,"_ she says. "It's hard to maintain in an area with strong, fluctuating mana like this, but if controlled, it'll allow you to use your magic better- _Caldius Brachium!"_ She doesn't even look at the worm as it launches itself at her again, and dispatches it easily. "This is a basic control technique... but you may be able to use it to reach your goal!"

 _Yes! Finally, an actual technique I can use,_ I think to myself, giving her a determined nod. Less than a second later, something wraps around my leg and yanks me underwater. "Ah-" My scream is cut off as water fills my mouth again, and I choke. I try and summon magic to burn away my attacker, but the flames splutter out in the water. _Fuck! I'm going to die!_ I think for the 100th time since I came out here. How am I supposed to use mana skin in a place like this? The strong natural mana and, you know... WATER is making it really hard to do anything!

_Concentrate... you have a source of power in your head, right?_

That's right... whatever it is, an ancient power source is connected to the symbol in my head. For whatever reason, that's my only weapon right now. 

My eyes snap open, stinging from the water, as I feel power surge through my veins. That's it! Now, just a little more... and as it comes, I concentrate it into the area just outside my skin. Just like I did when I was fishing, but much more precise. This is an incredible amount of mana, in such a small area. It almost feels like it does when I use that spell with Julius, but on a much smaller level. With one last strain, I feel the mana tighten, and the fluctuations around me cease. I did it! I did mana skin! With a gurgle, I hold up my wet Grimoire and set off Solar Blitz. The tentacle is burnt off of me immediately, and I triumphantly return to hack up water at the surface. 

"Interesting," Mereoleona says when I resurface. The horror worms seem to have backed off for now. "Why is your mark thing glowing?"

I glance up and notice the light, quickly fading. "I'm still not sure... but it happens when I use my magic in a certain way."

Mereoleona's eyes narrow. _Hmm... so that was a bit of her true powers, huh? I was able to get her to draw it out._

"Oh! By the way, when I was underwater, I saw a tunnel in the side of this cave. I think that might be the dungeon entrance!" I add excitedly. 

Mereoleona's frown grows into a smirk. "Perfect! Ready to dive?"

This time, I return the expression, my fingertips tingling as I get excited to fight. "Hell yeah!"

_This nosy little brat... I never would have thought she would follow me all this way. But here she is! Maybe you can achieve your goal, after all._

**Week 4**

"Hot spring?"

"Lighten up! This is a big deal!" Mereoleona snaps, pointing at the pool that's formed between the cracks in the rocks. The area around us is very cold, but I can feel strong fire mana washing off of the water's surface. "Hot springs kick ass... and it'll work out your magic. Strip down and get in!"

Over the past 4 weeks of travel through the strong magic region, I've learned to take her orders seriously, so I quickly obey and slip into the water. The mana coming out of the springs is oppressive, but my training is starting to pay off. With a little help from mana skin, I let out a sigh and lean against the side. "You're right... this kicks ass."

"Of course I was!" I open my eyes to see her getting in the water as well. "If only we had some sake..."

"Or beer!" I groan. Alcohol would be great right about now. She laughs along with me as we both soak in the warmth of the water. I let out a satisfied sigh and lean back, letting my gaze go out of focus. "You know... thank you for being so hard on me. It makes these moments feel even better."

"Anytime..." Mereoleona sounds a bit more pensive than usual. "Someone once told me, the hardest path is the one that leads to the top. If you're not ready when you start to climb, you'll just fall back down into despair."

 _... whoa._ I didn't expect a quote like that to come from her lips. "Wow... who told you that?"

"The woman who trained me. The only person I haven't been able to beat." Mereoleona sighs. "Acier Silva."

 _Silva... could that be Lady Silva? Nozel's mother?_ "She trained you?" I ask, interested now. "I haven't heard anything about her... and I've never seen her, either-"

"That's because she's dead." I freeze mid-sentence as Mereoleona cuts me off. "She died giving birth to her last daughter."

_Last daughter? But, that means... Noelle?_

The realization hits me. The reason Noelle never gets brought along to events, why her own brother treated her so coldly...

_"Get out of sight."_

A different predicament, but the same words were hurled towards both of us. 

_"Get out of my sight."_

"I'm... sorry to hear that."

"So was every one else. Nothing has really been the same since."

Melancholy silence starts to settle between us before Mereoleona suddenly brightens up. "But her hard work isn't going to waste. I'll continue to get stronger, and train people to fight alongside me." I look back at her to see her smiling at me, more gently. "Whatever your goal is... I know you can achieve it."

Even though, at this point, I'm not entirely sure what my goal is... those words inspire me.

Mereoleona gets out to go find food shortly after, leaving me alone in the water. With a happy heart, I close my eyes to doze off a little bit. Heaven knows I've earned it. 

After a while, I start to overheat so I get out as well, picking up a makeshift cloth and using it as a towel. I wrap it around my body and go to flop down on my blanket. The water was nice, but my joints are still sore. I hear footsteps in the grass and see Mereoleon approaching. She pauses and stares down at me... kind of intensely. "Um... do you need something?" I ask, sitting up again. I nervously draw the towel a bit more around my body. 

"I wanted to ask you something," she responds, crossing her arms over her chest. Her smile is different, somehow. "Something about..."

She pauses as I suddenly narrow my eyes. _This is too familiar..._ "What?"

"... you can drop the disguise now..." her face falls as I smirk. 

"...Julius."

"Mereoleona" blinks slowly, then lets out a defeated sigh. "Jeez..." Her skin starts to sparkle as the guise fades away, "her" voice deepening. "That trick doesn't even work on you anymore?"

And there he is. I have no idea how he got here, or how he found us... but I have a pretty good idea of why Julius is here. He's dressed differently than usual, in commoner clothes. It's kind of hot... but then I remember the situation we're in. "Seriously?! Julius, you can't just show up like this!" I scold him quietly, looking around at the surrounding trees. "How long did you spend searching for us?!"

Julius steps towards me, quickly dropping down to crawl onto the blanket. I scoot out of his grasp. "Answer my question!"

He sighs and pauses. "You know... I can move almost as fast as the speed of light! I missed you and wanted to come say hi, that's all!"

" _That's all?"_ I repeat, astounded. "Look, I'm happy that you missed me-"

"Really? Good!" Julius lets out a happy laugh before opening his eyes to look at me again. "And... I guess, technically, that's not _all..."_

He suddenly advances again, almost catlike. I let out a cry as he grabs my wrists to pin me down. "You're already half naked, so-"

"J-Julius, we can't!" My voice is a panicked whisper. "Mereoleona-"

"Won't interrupt us," he finishes. "I put her in a bubble of frozen time. There's no way she'll catch us."

I gape up at him, astounded. "Y-you _KIDNAPPED MEREOLEONA?!?"_ I don't even know how to respond. "Julius... you're insane!"

"I know..." He smiles and leans down. "But I know you like it."

I can't object to that as he lips hit mine, immediately dominating my struggles. I have to admit, I did miss him, and I've been dreaming of our... reunion for days. _Julius... you always keep surprising me..._

"Hey, wake up! You'll drown if you fall asleep in the hot spring!"

I jolt awake as something hits me upside the head. I look back to see Mereoleona glaring down at me. "H-huh?!" I blink my eyes and try to focus on reality. "What?"

"Get out, you've been in there long enough!" Mereoleona barks before walking away. "For god's sake... don't relax too much!"

 _Oh, so that was all a dream?_ My cheeks flush pink as I climb out to dry myself off. _Thank goodness... but it felt so real! That's definitely something Julius would actually do._ I sigh and shake my head before looking up at the night sky. 

_Wherever_ _you are... I miss you, Julius. I promise we'll see each other soon!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time, Chapter 38: part 2 of the training montage! The pair enter a particularly dangerous dungeon, only to find a set of infamous enemies waiting for them.


	38. the training montage part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. We hit 2000 hits! Lol thank you all for checking this out.
> 
> 2\. Note: the Gravito Stones dungeon in this chapter is NOT the same one used by the Eye of the Midnight sun... I just thought it would be a neat place to have this scene lol

**Week 6**

Six weeks of mana training in the most intense conditions possible have culminated in our mission today. In the far north of the kingdom, deep within the strong magic domain, lies an area known as "Gravito Stones." The mana here is insane, causing the very gravitational pull of the earth to be turned on end. As a result, huge pieces of the mountainside have been ripped from the ground and levitated into the air. "That's the one there-" Mereoleona points at a particularly large one, spires of stone stretching into the sky. "The dungeon in there probably has some cool stuff. How do you think we can get up there, though?"

"Hmm..." I rub my chin and look around, spotting a field of smaller rocks filling the air between the cliff we're standing on and the dungeon. "Mereo... do you have any flight spells?"

"Not specifically... I can fly though."

I raise an eyebrow at her answer. "How can you fly without a flight spell? Do you have wings somewhere?"

Mereo laughs a little at the assertion. "How about this... see you if you can tell me how I do it by the end of the day."

Sounds like a fun challenge, so I eagerly nod. "You got it!"

With a bark of laughter, the flame-haired woman turns her sights towards the dungeon. With just a single push, she goes rocketing up into the air at an incredible speed. No flames spring from her feet, and I'm left in the dust as she effortlessly "flies" into the air. _How on earth?!_ She wasn't even using the smaller rocks as stepping stones, she just pushed off of _thin air_ to propel herself. _Thin air?!!? Is that even possible? Is there some sort of trick that I'm not seeing?_

Well, I'm being left behind so I push the thought aside for now. _Fire Creation Magic: Flaming Condor!_ I quickly grab onto the blue bird and shoot up after Mereo, the cold wind whipping around my body. A few moments later, I let go and land on my feet next to her at one of the entrances. I straighten up and look around a bit before turning to her. "What you did out there... were you creating some sort of invisible surface to jump off of?"

Mereo snickers. "No... keep guessing! But later." She turns to examine the tunnel before us. "This could be tricky, I bet it's like a maze in here. Don't wander off!"

"Yes ma'am." I follow her inside, conjuring a blue flame to light our way. Her eyes flicker down to the makeshift torch. "It's strange to me," she starts to say. "Your flames aren't just blue, they're _always_ blue. Usually it takes a bit more effort to get it that hot. Are you just that talented?"

"NO! No, not at all," I quickly tell her, feeling a bit embarrassed. "It's always been like that... I never had to do anything special. I mean, it's always been like that since I got my mark." In the weeks we spent together, I told Mereo everything about my mark and my powers, from the strange Simulcian people to the spell Julius and I shared. For some reason, I wanted her to understand me, because I trusted her to help me find the answer. She told me many things about her own life as well, including some embarrassing stories about Fuegoleon that I will definitely be blackmailing him with later.

"Hmm... well, when you figure out how to use your weird powers, maybe you'll know the answer," Mereo finishes before suddenly looking forward again. "Shit... we aren't alone."

I look ahead and sense it too, a disturbance in the already wacky mana of this place. "Who are they?" I whisper.

"...only one way to find out."

Without another word, she rockets off down the hallway. "Seriously? You told _me_ not to wander off!" I object before taking off running after her, using my magic to reinforce my legs and run faster. _Or... maybe..._ I point my palms behind me. "Flame Magic: Double Solar Bolt!" The energy shoots from both of my palms and sends me rocketing forward as well, and it's not long before I also catch up to Mereoleona. She isn't running on the floor or walls, though... she's doing that thing again where she pushes off of thin air. Each time, I can feel mana concentrate around her feet. _Is she... controlling mana outside of her body? Usually you can only use the magic attribute you're born with, but somehow she's using the mana in the environment to move freely through it?_ I remember something she told me, years and years ago. 

_"This place... nature. The natural mana is overwhelming. Spend enough time here, like I have, and you'll be able to tap into it, and maybe one day control it."_

That was back by the riverbank, so, so long ago. But... she made _me_ try it, didn't she? And for a brief moment, even I was able to draw the natural mana into myself and strengthen the little magic that I had.

"You figured it out, didn't you?" I snap out of it to see Mereo smiling at me knowingly. I nod, my hair blowing around my face. "It's a technique called _Mana Zone._ It's highly advanced, and only a few people can use it... but if you learn, you can control all of the mana around you. For instance-"

Suddenly, we shoot out of the tunnel and into an atrium-like space. A ground of four guys is startled by our arrival and turn around to face us. My blood runs cold when I see the emblem printed on each of their uniforms.

_T-that... these mages are from...._

"These Spade Kingdom weaklings don't stand a chance!" Mereoleona roars like the proud lioness she is. I skid to a stop and watch her rocket towards the guys. " _Caldius Brachium Barrage!"_

Fire forms around the group from all sides, materialized from the mana in the room and from Mereoleona's sheer power. They let out a scream, but it's too late, a million flaming fists rain down from above, below, and the sides. A moment later, they're flung to the ground, defeated. Mereoleona holds up her fist and yells triumphantly while I run over to the pile of unconscious enemies. "Spade Kingdom Mages? What are they doing here?" I know the Spade Kingdom is an enemy that's been trying to move eastward into our Kingdom, but without much success due to the large strong magic domain between us. 

"Looking for treasure, obviously." Mereoleona kicks one of their bags, knocking it open to reveal a pile of shiny objects. "Look through that and see if there's anything cool. I'll be right back." Without another word, Mereo runs off down another hall. I sigh, a little exasperated from being left behind all the time, and crouch down to rummage through the bag. It's a convenient satchel, so I plan on bringing the whole thing when I leave, but it couldn't hurt to take inventory. "Ooh!" I pull out a jewel-encrusted dagger, the blade concealed within a leather scabbard. Pretty! I put it back in and keep looking. There's a lot of jewelry in here, which I don't find very practical and therefore have no use for. However, one piece catches my eye.

It's fairly simple, a gold band that's meant to go around your wrist. It's obviously made for someone with larger wrists than myself. Embedded in the face is a tiny clock, smaller than any I've ever seen before. The silver disc is etched with numerals around the edge. It's simple, yet elegant... 

"Hehe! This is the perfect birthday present for Julius," I giggle to myself, sticking it back in the bottom of the bag. "He's going to love it..."

"He's never gonna get it."

I whip around to see a few more Spade mages have suddenly appeared in the room with me. One of them looks at the pile of their fallen comrades. "Did you do that?"

I gulp nervously, slinging the satchel around my arm. There are four of them, all men, all looking angry. Surely I can take four, right? "Er, no?" It's the truth, but since Mereoleona isn't around, they obviously don't believe me. "I was just leaving actually, haha! Isn't that-"

"Illusion magic: Mage's Bane!" One of them opens their Grimoire and immediately splits into ten people. Oh. Make that fourteen enemies, then. 

The other two have their Grimoires out as well and are advancing quickly. The fourth and last guy, who's probably the leader, hangs back for now.

"Ice Magic: Frozen whip!"

"Concealment magic: cloaked gift!"

I watch in horror as all ten clones suddenly have a long, sharp whip made of ice appear in their hands, and then all promptly disappear from sight. I suck in a breath and take a step back, my heart starting to pound. _Ice magic... I should fare pretty well against that! Then why do I feel so much dread?_

All I need to do is take out the four mages in front of me, and then their magic will go away. My own Grimoire flips through it's pages as I cast a spell. _Flaming Talons._ I've been evolving some of my spells as I've gotten stronger, and this is one of them. My first spell, which used to be just one sharp set of fire coming from one hand, now covers both of my hands and can be extended farther. However, that doesn't change the main problem: I can't even see the enemies attacking me now. I try and sense their mana, managing to knock away a few, but cry out as one of the ice whips strikes my back. _Stay up, don't fall!_ I grit my teeth and raise my hands. "Solar Blitz!"

A volley of fire shoots out of my body in each direction, knocking away more of the invisible enemies. A few bolts actually skid past them and manage to strike one of the actual mages, knocking him to his knees. The concealment spell is immediately broken and I see that there are four clones left. With a confident yell, I conjure more blue flame around my fist. I swing up just as a whip comes snapping down at me, my fist making contact. With a _CRACK,_ the ice explodes into a million shards, raining down around me. However, I don't notice the Illusion mage start to summon more lackeys. I turn around just in time to see that I'm surrounded.

"Illusion and Ice combination magic!" the two mages yell in unison. Uh oh. "Frozen Bondage Position!"

 _!! BOndage?_ I think to myself briefly. The clones all raise their whips, and before I can react, they crack down on me. I let out a scream of pain from the icy cold feeling and quickly find myself tied up in the middle of a frozen web. _Shit!_ The ice mage chuckles to himself. "We'll be taking that treasure now," he threatens.

"Like Hell you are!" With the last of my strength, a puff of flame envelops the area around my body, crackling menacingly and daring anyone to try and approach me. The mage gulps as he feels the heat rolling off of the magic. It's so hot, it starts to melt the icy bindings around my body. _Come on! Just one more second..._

"Good grief... Do I have to do everything for you?" The voice belongs to their leader, who hasn't done anything up to this point. I focus on him as he pulls out his Grimoire. _Shit! Come on, almost there!_

Finally, the ice whips around my body melt away, and I ball up both of my fists as I take off right towards the enemy. "Flame Magic-"

His mouth moves. 

"Psyche Smoke Magic: Fear Conjuring."

I run headlong into a cloud of ashy grey smoke, immediately inhaling it. I splutter and stumble to a stop, my lungs desperately trying to hack up the substance. What the Hell is this stuff? I try and burn it out of the air with no success, in fact, it seems to be oppressive my magic quite a bit. _Fear conjuring? What does that mean-_

"There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere!"

I spin around to the source of the voice. There he is, walking towards me with one hand raised in his usual, casual greeting. Despite the situation, I can't help but let myself melt into a relieved smile. "...Julius!"

_He's here... everything's going to be alright now._

I let myself take a step forward, a naive sense of security overtaking any reason. It feels so real, and his warm, comforting aura immediately melts away any fear or stress I was feeling before. I forget that I'm surrounded by enemies in a dangerous dungeon. I take another step, speeding up, wanting nothing more than to fling myself onto him with every ounce of love I have. His smile widens as I approach, and he holds out his arms. 

"My love..."

His smile doesn't fade as he suddenly stumbles forward, jerking slightly as something hits him from behind. With that same, happy expression, Julius reaches out one last time before falling forward, flat on his face. 

He's been impaled from behind, by a giant sewing needle. 

The white part of his robe starts to stain red. I skid to a stop, my eyes widening as I watch his life bleed out onto the stone. The smoke fades back into my awareness, but his body remains, a stark warning for anyone like me who would dare to hope for something better than what life has given me.

_"...you'll never be anything more than what I need you to be."_

_"Get out of my sight."_

When my father died, I couldn't bring myself to even scream, all I could do was move forward into action. But now... an anguished, strangled cry is ripped from my throat as I freeze in place. My knees wobble as I start to go light-headed, and I quickly hit the ground as well. Everything is still surrounded by smoke as I attempt to crawl towards the body of the man I loved. 

_"Don't.... that's not his body."_

I stop in my tracks as I feel a familiar voice whisper in my ear. Slowly, something warm, a sensation, wraps around me. I feel the fear start to melt away. 

_"He's not dead. He's right here with you...._

_..._ I'm _here."_

It doesn't make sense, but somehow, it makes me feel better. My mark begins to glow, and a streak of blood drips out of my nose. 

"Alright, she should be crippled by now," the leader says. _"Fear Conjuring_ breaks my opponent by combining their worst fear and their greatest comfort into a nightmare. Send in an icicle and-"

He's cut off as I suddenly come hurdling out of the smoke, faster than should be humanly possible. I had picked up a piece of rubble in my hand, and it glows blue as I reach him. 

"What a dirty trick! Take THIS!!!"

Conjuring up power around the rock, I throw it as hard as I can. It hits the opposite wall before I even feel it leave my hand. A nanosecond later, the mage is blasted back as well, unable to dodge something moving that fast. He doesn't even scream as he skids across the floor and rolls to a stop, knocked out. 

"Get her!" I turn around just in time to see icicles raining down on me. With a blast from my hand, I manage to melt most of them, but one gets through and hits me in the side. "Gah!" I stumble back, more from shock than pain, before regaining my balance. "What was that for?!"

The mage opens and closes his mouth, unable to respond. "Uh... because we're enemies?"

He could have come up with a more exciting answer, but that wouldn't have changed how I feel anyway. With one last push, I head in to attack again. I was hoping to try and do a "Mana Zone" attack like Mereoleona, but it's taking everything I have just to exude mana from my body in this crazy environment. Before long, the last two enemies lay at my feet, scorch marks covering their clothes as they take a nice, long nap.

I stand there for a while, catching my breath, one hand clutching the wound at my side. The glow from the mark subsides, and I feel my knees weaken. With a groan, I sink to the floor and eventually tip backwards, wincing a bit as my head hits the ground. The stone feels cool, almost refreshing. The bag full of treasure is still safe where it hangs on my shoulder. _I can't believe I had to do all that... just to protect a birthday present!_

A couple minutes later, Mereo zooms back into the room and walks over to look down at me. "...you good?"

I nod weakly, covering my eyes with my arm. "...yeah."

She raises an eyebrow, eyeing the freely bleeding wound on my side. "Hmm... what about _that?_ It doesn't look good."

"Eh. Give it a second." Even if this new "healing spell" I got is super bizarre, it sure is dependable.

Right on cue, my body starts to glow with a faint blue lights. Mereo watches silently as the wound closes up, the blood flowing back to where it's supposed to be. The glow fades away once finished, and I finally get the strength to sit up. "Sheesh... that's the weird spell you were telling me about?"

"One of them. That one doesn't even show up in my Grimoire." I reach up and gladly take the hand held out to me, rising to my feet. "It activates automatically when I get hurt really bad. It doesn't work with less serious wounds."

"...that's odd." Mereo sighs and shrugs before looking down at my bag. "At least you saved the treasure, there wasn't any more after these bastards ransacked it." She plants her heel on the shoulder of one of the fallen enemies.

"Hey, let them sleep," I scold lightly. Mereo turns to me with a shocked expression on her face, surprised that I was bold enough to say something like that to her. "I mean... they fought pretty well. It takes a lot of bravery to face me, after all." I puff out my chest in fake-immodesty.

Mereo can't help but chuckle at my antics, releasing her prey. "Look at you, acting all tough. And showing mercy, too? You're getting a bit too confident in your abilities."

My expression falters a little at the comment, but I stiffen up as she suddenly reaches out to ruffle the top of my hair. "To be expected of my student... I'm proud of you."

_I'm proud of you._

"...thank you!"

She releases me and turns around. "Come on... let's get out of this hell hole and find a hot spring."

I couldn't be more eager to follow her this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time! Chapter 39! The royal advisor! After returning to civilization, MC is feeling confident in her abilities. But wait... where even is Julius?


	39. the royal advisor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Yes the reader's birthday is September 21. No I'm not apologizing.
> 
> 2\. Marx Mental Breakdown time!

Mereoleona once again forbids me from using magic to travel or sleeping under a roof on my long walk back to the capital. Even though I'm exhausted from 6 weeks of intense training, I feel strangely ready to take on the journey. Not only physically... I can already tell that my magic has strengthened during this month and a half. Better control, better channeling, better everything. The huge amounts of mana present in this strong magic region are a good simulator for the magic produced by my mystery spell, and I'm confident that I'll be able to handle it better the next time we attempt it. 

_Thank you for everything, Mereo. I'll see you again soon. And Julius-_ My sights are now set on the castle, far out of sight. _I'm coming home._

My arrival back will be perfectly timed with Julius's birthday on October 15th, just as I planned. The King's birthday is soon afterwords, and it occurs to me that I will have been with Julius for a year at that point. A year! I've hardly noticed the time passing since then, and I still feel just as shook up as I did at the beginning. We'll have to do something special for the anniversary, and for _my_ birthday, too. 

_My birthday..._

All the sudden, I realize that I missed my birthday. I was so wrapped up in this training that I didn't notice September 21st come and go! Usually, my family would make a big deal about it, Lyra baking a cake and my father holding a party at the tavern. He even let me drink some of his famous whiskey when I turned 18, even though I had been sneaking it long before. Last year was the first birthday away from home, the first time I didn't celebrate it. However, it was still notable... that was back when Julius and I were doing our research in the library, spending long, tense hours together. I mentioned offhand that it was my birthday, which caught his attention. _"Your birthday? Wonderful! How old are you, again?"_ I told him I was 19, and he suddenly got very nervous. _"19?! Ah... so young!"_ At that point, he was probably worried that he was too old for me. Spoiler alert: he wasn't. 

_I should probably let him know that I'm coming,_ I think to myself. According to my plan, I'll be back in a week, so if I send a letter now he'll surely be expecting me. Now, where can I get an envelope? And maybe some free food, too... My stomach is growling, for once.

That's how I end up in the kitchen of a tiny church, in a town not too far from that giant demon skull I passed earlier. Lucky for me, upon hearing that I'm a travelling magic knight, the woman in charge, a young nun, ushers me inside and sits me down. "We don't get Magic Knights out here very often! Here you go-" she places a plate of food and a piece of paper and pen on the table in front of me. "Take all the time you need!"

"Thank you, Sister!" I gratefully pull the plate towards me and dig in. Whatever this is, it tastes like dry potatoes, but is also strangely good? I scarf down as much as I can before picking up the pen. 

" _Julius-_

_I am leaving to return to the capital today! If all goes to plan, I should be back just in time for your birthday. Don't miss me too much! "_

I sign my name and fold up the paper. The Sister quickly fetches me an envelope and stamp. "Ah, I wish the boys were here right now," she says. "They would have loved to meet you."

"The boys?" I repeat. She has children? I thought Nuns were celibate, and anyway, she looks far too young to be a mother.

"Yes! This church acts as an orphanage as well," she explains. "Children who lost their parents when they were babies, mostly. Our two oldest are both hoping to become magic knights one day."

Ah, that makes sense. I nod along with the story as I stuff my letter in the envelope. "Well, you can tell them..." I push back my chair and stand up, offering her a smile. "As long as they don't give up, I'm sure they can do it!" Even though they're peasants... it's not unheard of for them to become magic knights. In fact...

"I knew the first peasant to become a magic knight," I tell her as we move towards the exit. "He was one of the best there ever was... If your boys are anything like him, the kingdom would be wise to choose them."

"That's so nice..." the Sister replies, smiling brightly. "They'll love to hear that."

"I'm glad." I turn to look out at the road. The Sister said she would post my letter for me later. "Well... thank you for everything, Sister..."

"Sister Lily!" she finishes, waving me off. "Have a safe trip!"

I make it another mile down the road before something occurs to me. That story I told... about the first Peasant to become a Magic Knight... 

_...I don't know where that memory came from. I'm certain I've never met a man like that, and yet..._

I could see his face in my mind's eye, as clear as if he were standing right in front of me. The face of a man that I've never met.

_Zara Ideale._

* * *

Exactly a week later, I trudge into my room in the Crimson Lions base and collapse head first onto my bed. I let out a long, sustained groan, my muscles and joints absolutely killing me. I felt so lucky to get the chance to train with Mereo, but this was awful! Hopefully all this hard work would end up paying off somehow. Eventually, I shed my cloak and bag and head down to take a long, much-needed bath. I wince a little as I sink into the water, as I forgot how hot we liked to keep it! It's even hotter than the hot spring Mereo and I used, and that's saying a lot.

A few girls I don't recognize are washing their hair in the mirror, chatting with each other. They seem sort of young... where did they come from?

Oh! That's right, I completely missed the recruitment exam this year. There's going to be a few newbies around the base now, I suppose, and I start to feel a little more excited. _New people to meet... I can't wait to get to know them all! I wonder what kind of magic they use?_

Needless to say, I knock out as soon as my head hits the pillow, and don't wake up until nearly 11 am the next morning. I still technically have time off, so I'm not expected to do anything today. I'll probably officially return to work in a few days or so, after I've had time to recover from my travels. Today is a special day, though: Julius's birthday! I can hardly contain my excitement as I pull on my clothes and shoes, making sure to look extra good today. I think back to when we saw each other last. _That poor, poor man... I hope he's been keeping himself busy somehow. I would hate for him to actually be suffering because I'm gone._ No one's ever been that attached to me before, at least not in the way he is, so it all feels a bit bizarre. Bizarre... but not bad. 

I don't run into Fuegoleon on my way out, but a few other members of the squad pause to say hello. "Back to work soon?"

"Soon! It's not like I was on vacation!" I remind them, earning a small bout of laughter. I borrow a broom and am finally on my way. Julius's present is stuffed in a little bag I found, clutched tightly in my hand. _I can't believe he's going to be 35... jeez._ I shake my head a little at the thought. _Who knew that I would catch myself such a nice, mature man?_

"Oh! Lord Julius isn't in right now."

"What?" I raise my eyebrows at the gatekeeper at the entrance to the castle. "He should be expecting me?"

The mage scans my Grimoire and nods. "Oh, he is! He said to just find Marx and wait until he gets back."

 _What on earth could he be doing?_ I think to myself, putting my Grimoire back in its case. "Alright then... where's Marx?"

"Hmm... I don't know actually." He picks up his communicator. "Marx? Where are you?"

There's a moment of silence before the reply comes.

_"...kitchen."_

Uh oh. Something in his tone of voice doesn't sound right. I gulp nervously and thank the mage for his help before walking inside, wondering what exactly I'm going to find in the kitchen.

Well.... I didn't expect to find this. Smoke is billowing out of the oven, a few eggs are cracked on the floor, and Marx is crouched there having a mental breakdown. His blue hair is dusted white with flour. I stand there, stunned, for a good four seconds before I manage to form words. "...what on earth is going on here?"

Marx blinks slowly and snaps out of his daze to look up at me. "...you..."

 _Uh oh... am I about to get my ass beat?_ I think to myself, taking a step back. Marx stares at me blankly for another moment or so, before his eyes start to water. "...you have no idea how happy I am to see you!!!"

He catches me by surprise as he jumps up and crushes me in a hug, getting flour all over my clothes. "Whoa! Uh- I'm glad to see you too," I say, feeling a little awkward. Were Marx and I this close before I left? I pat him on the back before glancing at the burning oven. "What's going on?"

"You have no idea! I've been in a living hell these past few weeks!" he tells me, stepping back. "First, Julius starts acting like some moody brat. _No Marx, I'm not going to do my paperwork! No Marx, you can't make me go see the King!_ It's infuriating! After a while I managed to wrangle him into getting his work done, and _Bam!_ All the sudden that's all he wants to do... he wouldn't eat, wouldn't sleep, and he demanded more and more paperwork when he was done. He even managed to get ahead on his work!"

I let out a loud gasp, and he nods. "Exactly! It was scary... but that was the worst of it. He stayed like that for a while, but then he got your letter..." Marx lets out a heavy sigh. "You should have seen him... I've never seen him more excited for anything. He got really excited for today too. He left to go visit his parents and left me with an impossible task..." His voice trails off and his eyes go out of focus.

"Oh?" Julius had never mentioned his parents before. I'm guessing that they're pretty old and live outside the castle, somewhere in the noble realm. "What was the task?"

Marx rummages in his pocket and pulls out a note. I instantly recognize Julius's scribbled handwriting.

_" Hi Marx! Gone to see the old man and old lady, ahah! I would like a cake to eat after dinner tonight, something with a lot of chocolate? I gave the cooks the day off so you'll probably have to make it yourself. What fun! See you later! -Julius. "_

_"What fun!"_ Marx mocks, starting to go red in the face. "I can't believe him... he's always coming up with these little schemes to drive me up the wall! I bet he let the cooks go home on purpose... so I would have to go through THIS hell!" He motions violently at the still-smoking oven. "This is my first, failed attempt... the first of many, I bet."

I take things into my own hands and open the over door. More smoke comes out, and when it clears I see a burnt, brown lump sitting on a tray. "Marx... you're supposed to but it in a cake mold, you know?"

Marx covers his face with shame. "I've never had to cook anything in my life! I'm a noble, you know!"

"I know, I know," I tease. "Lucky for you, I'm here now. I've baked a few things in my time."

His eyes light up with relief. "You would? Really?"

"Of course!" I close my eyes for a moment as I smile. "I can't let you flounder around in all this misery now, can I?"

"Thank you..." Marx bows his head a little. "I really am glad you're back... I can't imagine having to do this alone."

Since he somehow managed to destroy every ingredient in the icebox, Marx and I head out to town to grab what we need. Marx brings a bag of money with us so we have enough to buy our ingredients. "It's been a while since I've been out here," he says as we walk, looking around the busy streets. "I feel like I never leave the castle any more..."

"Is it really that busy of a job?" I inquire, interested. I'm somewhat familiar with Marx's duties, but never heard him talk about it like this before.

"You know it... I feel like I'm doing the job of twelve people sometimes," he replies. "It's not just Julius's fault, either. The King is demanding, and the Diamond and Spade Kingdoms have been making incursions constantly. Everyday, more and more problems..." His voice trails off, and I realize that he has the same look in his eyes that Julius gets whenever he thinks of all the heavy stuff he has to deal with. Marx, Julius's closest advisor, was the one person who shared those burdens. I'm sure Marx has climbed very high, and asserted himself as a dependable leader, but he doesn't have the power Julius has to back up his position. "But I don't want to trouble you with that. You're nice enough to help me with this cake nonsense, after all!"

I nod along, still lost in thought from his earlier words. "Yeah..." I manage to smile brightly at him again. "Marx... I know Julius thinks very highly of all the work you do. He entrusted you with this task because he knows you can handle it. Not many people have that strength."

"Strength?" Marx repeats slow, then smiles to himself. "Perhaps you're right..." He chuckles. "After all, no one else could do as good a job as me! I thrive under spine-crushing pressure!"

I giggle a little at the phrase. "That's the spirit!"

We collect our ingredients and head back. In no time at all, I help him mix everything together and pour it into the appropriate cake mold. "There we are..." I say, slipping it into the oven. "Now we can make the icing while it bakes!" We have a lot of baking chocolate left over, more than enough to make frosting. Soon, the air is filled with a wonderful, chocolatey smell, which ends up attracting some unexpected attention. We hear the door open and look over to see a small, familiar silver-haired girl walk in. "Noelle?"

Marx's eyes widen a little. "The youngest Silva..." he breathes. "What are you doing in here, young lady?"

She sniffs the air. "I...smelled something good."

I can't help but laugh a little at the reason, then beckon for her to join us. "Come on, help me make the frosting!"

Her eyes light up, and I can't help but remember what Mereo told me about her mother, Acier Silva. _To be blamed for her mother's death... that must be horrible. If I can help even a little bit, I will!_ I pull up a chair and help her climb up into it. "Can you stir this?"

"Of course I can! I'm royalty!"

Both Marx and I laugh a little. "Yes, your majesty!"

The cake comes out perfectly, and I set Marx on the task of icing it. "It better be neat, no messy spots!" I warn him, causing him to roll his eyes. Meanwhile, Noelle examines his work carefully. "This... it's missing something..."

I raise an eyebrow at the little girl. "What is it missing?"

She smiles. "Strawberries."

Oh shit, she's right. "Julius loves strawberries, do we have any somewhere?" I ask Marx, suddenly going into panic mode. Marx does as well, racing over to the icebox. After a moment of suspense, he pulls something out. "Right here!"

We all breathe a sigh of relief as he brings the strawberries over. "Good... a chocolate-covered strawberry cake. He's going to love it!"

"You better tell him it was all my idea!" Noelle orders us cutely, crossing her arms and pouting. Dang, she has quite an attitude! It's kind of adorable. 

"Of course, your majesty!"

We carefully slice up the strawberries and Noelle helps me arrange them neatly in the icing while Marx watches. We're so engrossed in our work that we don't notice the door swing open, allowing a familiar person to walk into the kitchen. He stands there for a moment, watching Noelle and I with a twinkle in his eyes.

"That looks so good, Noelle!" I praise, ruffling the top of her head a little. Her eyes widen a little at the gesture, and a faint blush appears on her cheeks. I can't imagine she gets much affection at home. "You have a good eye for patterns."

The little girl smiles. "...thank you!"

"Look at you three, all working together!"

We look up and are surprised to see Julius standing there, watching us. His eyes meet mine, and I feel my heart skip several beats. _Even after all this time... he still stirs me up like this!_ I bite my lip as I smile over at him, causing his own to widen. _God... Julius..._

"Wizard King! We made you a cake!" Noelle spreads her arms and presents it to him grandly. Marx breathes a sigh of relief and covers his face.

"Oh! How wonderful!" Julius is quickly by our side, admiring the cake with stars in his eyes. "You did a good job! Here you go, Noelle!" He produces candy out of no where and hands it to her. Noelle squeals and, almost instinctually, throws herself into his arms. "Thank you!"

Julius catches her easily, a little shocked, but lets out a warm laugh and spins around once. "You're quite welcome!" 

Noelle slips back down to the ground and looks around at us. "I have to go... thank you for letting me hang out with you!"

"No problem! You were a big help!"

"Definitely!" Marx agrees. With that, the girl runs off out of sight with her candy. Marx sighs and turns to glare at Julius. "Seriously though... why did you have _me_ of all people do this?"

Julius just laughs. "Ah, well... you weren't alone, were you?" He snakes an arm around my shoulders, squeezing slightly. I immediately lean into the touch, the touch I've been craving for more than a month now. "I knew she would show up to help..."

Marx's mouth fell open. "Wait... so... this was all..."

"...all a scheme to get the two of you to work together? Yes!" Julius gives him a thumbs up. "The best birthday present is seeing my good friends become friends with each other."

Marx stares at him, his brain completely shut off. Then, he blinks, and, despite the ridiculousness of his superior, smiles to himself. "For goodness sakes... Julius, you never fail to amaze me." He opens his eyes to look over at us happily. "Well... dinner will be ready as soon as the cooks come back from their break. I'll leave you two alone."

"Thank you, Marx." Julius waves goodbye. "For everything." 

He leaves us alone, and Julius finally directs his attention towards me. "...Thank you for helping him."

I shrug off the words. "It's what friends do, right?" I tell him with a grin. He chuckles a bit, gazing down at me. Then, it finally becomes too much to bear, and we both lean in at the same time. He kisses me slowly, almost carefully, before wrapping his arms around me to pull me closer. I gladly let him, sinking further into his embrace. He pulls back for just a moment before basically collapsing around me in a tight hug. "I... missed you so much!" he whines, shaking me back and forth. "Why did you have to leave for that long?! AHHH!"

He picks me up a little with that frustrated yell, causing me to squeak in surprise. "Julius! Y-you know why I left!" I scold him lightly, holding on for dear life. "But... I'm glad you missed me."

He lets go and straightens up to look down at me again. "I know, I know... and of course I missed you..." His hands come up to cup my face, and I close my eyes as I enjoy the feeling. "But you're back now!" I open my eyes to see him grinning down at me like an idiot.

"We have a lot of catching up to do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time... chapter 40!!! Happy b day Julius! And chapter 41... Julius enjoys his birthday present ;)


	40. the dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I wanted to post this on father's day (for reasons you will soon see) but that didn't end up working out lol
> 
> 2\. The next chapter is (***). You know the drill ;)

"Seriously, though, you need to stop treating Marx like that! He has so much more to worry about than you, and he does more work than anyone else around here!"

Julius blinks, a little confused as to why I'm scolding him, before letting out a sigh. "Alright, I know! I'll see what I can do."

"Don't just _see,_ you need to actually do it!" I retort, crossing my arms as we walk. "He said he's doing the work of 12 people in this job."

"Oh?" Julius frowns a bit. "That's not good... maybe I should hire another advisor. It'll be hard to find someone as good as him, though."

I nod along, thinking that was a pretty good idea. I'm not sure how one becomes an advisor to the Wizard King, but I bet there's a line of people eager to fill the position. "We're not going to your office, are we?"

He shakes his head. "No... I don't want to lay eyes on my desk today, I've seen enough of that lately." He squeezes my hand as he smiles down at me. "I know a good spot where we can enjoy the evening."

"Sounds good!" I'm eager to tell him that I'm ready to try the spell again, but I don't want to spring it on him this soon. We can enjoy tonight... without worrying about that stuff. "I got you a present!"

"Huh?" He raises an eyebrow. "I thought _you_ were my present."

The way he says that causes my head to spin a little. _Keep it together!_ I fight a blush and shrug off the comment. "Aha, you remembered that?" I laugh nervously. 

"Of course." His arm suddenly slips around my waist, tugging me into his side. "What do you think's been keeping me going this whole time?"

It's nice to know that he's been thinking of me often, but that doesn't help my flustered state. "Ah, well... I didn't know you would get so worked up over me leaving," I reply casually, trying to maintain my composure as his hand gently caresses my side as we walk. "Am I really that great?"

Julius lets out a hum of playful laughter, his eyes glinting mischievously. "Why, of course. I thought you knew that? Or... do I have to remind you of how good you've made me feel?" His hand tightens around my waist and I realize that he's slowed his pace slightly. "I missed your presence most of all, but also..."

Uh oh. His touches are gentle, but his voice has both lowered and deepened a bit, signifying a growing... seriousness. _I knew it would be hard for both of us to be apart that long, but I didn't expect him to actually become... er... sexually frustrated. All things considered, though, he's holding it together pretty well so far._

Julius suddenly lets out another whine and collapses on me again. I let out a surprised yell and fall over, but luckily I was walking pretty close to the wall so we don't hit the ground. "How could you do that to me? You're so cruel!" he cries out. _Okay... maybe it wasn't just sexual frustration._ "I'm never letting you out of my sight again!"

"H-huh? Julius," I respond, trying to pry him off of me. "You can't do that!"

"Ugh, I know, I know."

"Also, I can't breathe."

"Ah!"

He finally lets go of me so I can straighten up and catch my breath. _Jeez, he really does act like a child sometimes! Maybe I shouldn't have left for so long. But still..._ I sigh, and can't help but smile. _It's nice to know that someone missed me this much..._

He lets out a soft, surprised sound as I step forward and bury my face in the white part of his robe without really thinking about it. "Oh? That was quick."

"...you should let me be the clingy one every once in a while. You must be exhausted." He looks down at my face and I wink to let him know that I'm just teasing. "Don't worry... I'm not going anywhere for a while."

His surprise fades, and he lets out a chuckle as his hand comes up to smooth over my head. "...of course. If that's what you want." He frowns a little. "Sorry... I shouldn't have behaved like that."

"No, it's fine, it was cute, as usual."

"I know, but I have to remember-" His gaze softens as he gently pulls me in against his chest, his other arm wrapping around me protectively. The gesture is sweet, and I let my eyes close and I melt into his warmth. "You're strong, but you need someone to cling to sometimes, right? In that case... I can definitely be that person for you."

I nod against his chest, his strong, secure chest. _God... what a man... He goes from being clingy to being like..._ this, _so quickly? What did I do to deserve him!_ "Alright... thank you, Julius." I feel him mumble an answer against the top of my head, not loud enough to really be heard, but I knew what he said.

_"I love you."_

"...what the hell."

My face goes deadpan at the sound of that familiar voice. It wasn't angry, or accusatory... but it struck fear in my heart all the same.

_Oh fuck._

Julius and I straighten up and look over at the source of the words. Sure enough... none other than _Nozel Silva_ is standing there, frozen at the sight he's jut stumbled upon. My breath catches in my throat at the look on his face. He looks scandalized, incredulous... still in the middle of processing what he's seeing. _Fuck! He's Royalty! And on top of that, he doesn't really like me that much... this is, like, the worst case scenario! What were we thinking, getting all romantic in the hallway? Why is he here, anyway?_ By this point, my mind has turned into a frenzy of panic. My first reaction is to push Julius off of me and start frantically explaining myself, but Julius doesn't loosen his grip. _What? Julius, please tell me you have a plan-_

"Oh! Nozel!" Julius's momentary panic subsides as quickly as it began, and he gives Nozel a big smile. "Fancy seeing you here! Are you looking for Noelle? We just saw her down in the kitchen!"

.... so, his strategy seems to be "act like this is normal and maybe Nozel won't notice," which I think isn't such a good idea but it's not like I have a better one. Julius finally releases me, but keeps one arm casually slung around my shoulder like we're best buds. _I hope you know what you're doing!_

Nozel blinks three times before snapping out of it. "Uh... no, I wasn't looking for her, I was looking for you." He clears his throat nervously, looking everywhere but at us. "I... I have a gift, on behalf of the Silva family." He holds up a small box tied with a red ribbon. "Happy Birthday, sir."

His words are stiff and formal, but his surprise seems to be wearing off. "Oh! Really?" Julius lets go of me and excitedly approaches Nozel to accept the gift. "How nice! Thank you, Nozel, tell your family that I appreciate it." 

"Of course..." Nozel's eyes flicker back over to me, just as confused as they were before. I gulp and look intensely at the ground as if it were the most interesting thing I've ever seen. "I'll... see you around."

He starts to turn and leave, but is stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder. He sucks in a nervous breath and looks up to see Julius still smiling down at him, but the corners of his mouth don't meet his eyes like they usually do. "Nozel... there's a favor I'd like to ask of you." His voice is still upbeat, but there's a strange pressure within each syllable. Nozel doesn't even have to ask to know what the favor is... he automatically knows. Slowly, he gives Julius a nod.

"Yes."

Julius lets out a good-natured laugh and lets go before stepping back. "Wonderful! We'll see you later, then."

Nozel doesn't waste a single moment retreating, finally leaving us alone again. I let out a tense breath and look over at Julius, who still seems relatively unbothered until his face falls. _Even he knows... that encounter could cause problems for us later, more than any other time. Even Fuegoleon was less of a problem than Nozel._

"...we should probably be more careful," I finally say, rubbing my arms awkwardly. "Do you think he'll keep his mouth shut?"

It doesn't comfort me when Julius shakes his head in response. "Not for long, at least. He'll stay quiet until someone asks him... I'll talk to him again tomorrow," he tells me. He realizes that my hands are shaking a little, and quickly comes to my side. "Don't worry about it, I'll handle it," he assures me, giving me a quick kiss on the forehead. "Come on... dinner's almost ready for us. You're going to love the spot I picked out."

That dispels my worries for a little while, but the thoughts can't help but nag at the back of my mind. _If Nozel tells anyone... and more people start to investigate, we could get exposed a lot sooner than we thought. And if one of us is going to get in trouble..._

_It'll be me._

However, I quickly forget about all that when he reaches our destination. "See? What a view!" He opens a glass door to reveal a small balcony that looks over the city. My eyes widen a bit, seeing how the sun cast everything in a perfect combination of orange and black. There's already food and a bottle of champagne sitting on a low table, ready for us to partake in. Julius smiles as he looks down at my expression. "So? What do you think?"

"...you really did pick the best spot!" I finally reply.

He grins to himself before turning and closing the door behind us, then draws the curtains closed so no one can see us. "There... I don't want to be disturbed this time. Tonight... is all about me. And you, of course." I feel my face heat up a bit, but on the inside I'm basically jumping around with joy and pride. _Look at me! Who knew, a year ago, that Julius would want to celebrate his birthday with me! This is quite an accomplishment._ I go to sink down onto the seat that's been placed next to the table. Julius goes ahead and pours the wine, handing me a glass. It's ice cold, just how I like it. "Care for a toast?"

"Of course." I hold up my glass to clink against his. "To... the 35 year old Wizard King!"

He lets out a snort of laughter. "Hmm... I was thinking 'to the Clover Kingdom,' but that works too." He drinks a long sip from his glass before sinking down into the seat next to me, slinging an arm around my shoulder. I briefly remember a similar moment from a long time ago, back during our first day in the library. Every single small thing he did sent my mind into a panic, but now it feels so comfortable. I don't want him to ever stop touching me. "This is exactly what I wanted for today," he sighs, content. "Nice and quiet..."

"I'm surprised there isn't a festival or something today in your honor," I comment. "Like for the King."

Julius shrugs. "That would be fun, but I don't think I deserve it," he admits.

"You deserve it more than the King does." He can't argue with that. "But seriously... I've never seen people more excited to have a Wizard King like you. Even though it's only been about a year and a half... The support is astounding. I mean, I've only had one other Wizard King in my life time, but people didn't talk about him the way they talk about you."

"Is that so?" Julius raises an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're not a little biased?"

"Of course not!" I take another sip from my glass. "They all love you... because you love everyone. You smile at people who don't deserve to see you smile... and because of that, you've already made many people's lives better."

"...I haven't done nearly as much as I hoped."

"It takes a while to change the world, you know."

I feel his hand on my head again and look up to see him beaming. "That's right... I need to stay down to earth with that type of thing. Progress is progress, no matter how small. But enough about me-" He gestures at the table. "Eat! And tell me everything about your all-important journey that took you away from me for two months."

"It was a month and a half!"

"Close enough. But tell me!! I bet you learned all kinds of cool magic while you were away!"

I'm not feeling hungry at all, but most of the food is small stuff so I manage to much away without a problem. I tell him all about my journey, from my long hike across the kingdom, to fishing with Mereoleona, to the dungeons we explored together, the Spade mages we fought, and everything in between. He opens the present I got and practically vibrates with excitement at the sight of it. "Amazing!!! An ancient clock... I can see why you thought of me." He immediately puts it on and admires it with adorable stars in his eyes. "oooh... this was at Gravito stones?"

I nod happily. "Yep! I defended it from those Spade guys."

His eyes widen. "A spoil of a battle..." he breathes. "Amazing." He closes his eyes as he smiles again. "Did you have to use your Mark for that?"

"Yeah... I even used that weird healing spell." The two of us have discussed that spell at length by now, and what it could be. It doesn't show up in my Grimoire, and his theory is that the mysterious Simulcian "power source" is what heals me each time. It's the best theory we have... but it still doesn't seem right. Every time it happens, and when I use my mark in general, it's like a whole other person, with powers different from my own, shows up in my mind. I can't see them clearly, I can only feel their soft, warm presence... but because of that, I can heal myself, move faster than normal, and amplify my attacks. Just thinking about it makes my head spin.

I tell him about the strange dream I had about him in the hot spring, which draws a heavy laugh from his chest. "You know, I seriously considered doing just that."

"Even the kidnapping part?"

"No... that was all you!"

I giggle, pouring yet another glass of champagne before leaning back in the seat to lounge next to him. "I met a lot of nice people along the way," I tell him, thinking about the nun in the church, and the two boys training in the demon skull. "Even though they had so little... they were still so kind to me. This kingdom really is a beautiful place..."

"It is," Julius agrees, admiring the present on his wrist. "There's plenty of problems, but in time, I think I can make it a better place for everyone."

He opens the gift from the Silvas, revealing a pair of books about magic. "They know me too well!" he exclaims happily, opening one up to flip through it. "This will keep me busy for a few nights." He sets it aside and starts fiddling with the red ribbon that came with the box. His eyes flicker over to me and I see him get an idea. "Turn around."

I raise an eyebrow but do what he says, feeling him sit up and his hands start to run through my hair. With surprising skill, he pulls my hair back out of my face and starts to weave the ribbon through it. The gesture has a sort of... gentle familiarity that I can't quite place. Nevertheless, it makes me feel all warm and happy inside. "So... did you get everything you wanted?"

I feel him shrug. "More or less... I'm sure there's more presents waiting in my office. I'll open those tomorrow."

"Is there something else you're hoping for?"

"Nothing specific... at least, not something you can wrap up in a box. It's more of an... aspiration."

Now I'm interested. "What is it, then? Making the Kingdom safe, or something like that?"

He chuckles, his fingers still working diligently. "No, no, even though that's something I want as well. It's..." His voice trails off softly, and I feel his fingers slow. "It's nothing you need to worry about."

Usually I would drop it at that point, but there's a strange, sad weight in his voice that worries me. I turn around in his arms to look at his face, seeing his brow furrowed, deep in thought. "...Julius?"

"...I guess... one day..." His gaze avoids mine like two north ends of a magnet, turning to look out over the city. "Once everything settles down... I... I would like to have a family."

After a moment of silence, his eyes flicker back to my face to gauge my reaction. I blink a few times, taking in what he just said. _Wait... was the reason he didn't want to tell me that because..._ "But... not with me?"

His shame suddenly turns into shock. "No! No! I mean- uh, that's why I didn't really want to spring that on you... because, well..." To my surprise, he's the one who's blushing deeply right now. "I don't want to make you feel pressured into that kind of thing... you're so young still, and you have a great career in the magic knights ahead of you! I don't want to tie you down... but still..." He suddenly covers his face, embarrassed. It's almost a funny sight to see. "Maybe this is a selfish desire... but I want it to be _you._ I want to have children with you."

It's hard for my mind to process why _anyone_ would want me to be the mother of their children, much less Julius. Of course, I had thought about it a lot, since my own mother drilled the idea into my head. Part of me, some evil part of me, wanted to reject that option out of spite because of how she treated me. But that part of me is quickly fading away the longer I stare into Julius's eyes.

"...it gets so lonely around here sometimes. I want the woman I love to be by my side, and I want my kids to run and play around the castle. I saw you earlier with Noelle, and I couldn't help but imagine you with our own daughter."

I remember how Julius acted with her, how natural it felt for him to spin her around in his arms. And when he met Rocco and Pat at the Star Festival, how easily he got along with them... that wasn't just the behavior of a man who got along with kids. That was a man who desperately wanted to be a father himself.

Julius squeezes his eyes shut again as I fail to respond. "I'm sorry! I probably shouldn't be spilling all of this on you, you can forget-" He stops short as he feels my hands on his face. He opens his eyes to look up at me, smiling down at him. I can't help it, but there's tears spilling from the corners of my eyes. "...are you-"

"Don't be sorry," I tell him before he can say anything else. "Because... I..." Unable to hold it back anymore, I feel the tears start to fall freely from my eyes. "I'm so happy you think that!"

Despite my crying, Julius's face breaks into a relieved smile. He doesn't say anything, just pulls me down into a kiss, a wet kiss, but sweet all the same. "You really think that?"

I nod ten times in a row. "Yeah... since the beginning, being with you has seemed like a dream," I tell him softly, wiping my eyes. "Even now, I can hardly believe how lucky I am. But... hearing you say those things..." I shake my head a little in disbelief. "I never thought I would hear that from _anyone."_

"Oh dear..." I start crying harder, and don't resist as he pulls me into his lap. "You deserve every good thing in this world, you know that?"

 _No... I didn't know that._ I can't even form the words right now, just hold on tightly as he rocks me back and forth gently. "I promise... I'll make you happy. And don't worry about any of that right now. I'm happy where we are, and we can discuss that stuff more in the future." I start to calm down again and sit up, nodding. "Alright?"

"...alright."

He kisses my cheek, before loosening his grip. "Here... I'm not done doing your hair yet."

I can't help but giggle at those words before turning back around. He goes back to work, humming to himself softly as he does, and I stare out over the peaceful city once more. Even though talking about the future is scary... I'm glad we did. It feels so secure, to know that the man I love wants to share a life together, not just in the present. Sure, it might be complicated, with me being in the magic knights and all. I still have ambitions... but love is all about giving and taking, isn't it? We both make sacrifices for each other, a perfect balance so we can live our lives to the fullest.

 _Not our_ lives... _our_ life.

"There we go!" Julius pulls his hands back as he finishes securing the ribbon in a nice bow. "Now... you really look the part of a birthday present."

I giggle and reach up to touch the bow delicately, wishing I had a mirror right now. "Thank you..." I turn around to give him a peck on the lips. "But... since I'm your present..." I wiggle my eyebrows at him. "Don't you want to open me up?"

His eyes immediately light up at the suggestion. "I'm so glad you asked," he purrs, suddenly grabbing my waist and pulling me in. I don't resist as his lips meet mine again, this time a bit less gentle than usual. His hand slides down to grip my thigh through my tights, and he makes a pleasantly surprised sound. "Ooh... muscles?" he comments, squeezing a little. It tickles and I squirm a bit against his hand. "Mereoleona didn't just work out your magic, huh?"

"That's just from the hike!" I tell him, blushing a bit as he continues to feel me up. Even though I'm sure no one can see us on the balcony, I can't help but feel a bit insecure about being outside. "Julius... can we..."

"Yeah!" He eagerly scoops me up in his arms and stands up. I let out a squeak of surprise, but he's holding me very securely. "Hold on!" I do as he says, and notice that he's taking a moment to gaze down at me before zipping off in his usual manner. He looks so... genuinely happy. More than just his normal level of clam joy... It's hard to admit, but it's true... _He feels like this... because of_ me! 

"...Julius?"

He snaps out of it. "Right! Sorry, I was just admiring my favorite present."

With one last wink, he whisks us both away at the speed of light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time! (Well, the time AFTER next time)... Chapter 42: the final piece. After a high-strung morning, MC finds herself in a tough position... she may have accidentally started a chain reaction for a bad series of events.


	41. the present (***)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: sex

Julius doesn't waste any time getting down to business. He gives me a kiss as soon as we arrive in his room before letting go. Without taking his eyes off of me, he slowly walks backwards until he reaches the couch, sinking down onto it. His lips curl into a smile. "...alright then. Take off your clothes."

I would have much rather had him to that for me, but his tone is strangely serious and his smile fades a bit as I hesitate. "What about you?"

"Be patient. Come on, strip for me."

Uh oh. It's going to be one of _those_ nights.

My fingers aren't the most graceful as I start unbuttoning my jacket, which I quickly throw aside. He's still watching me like a hawk, no expression on his face, so I decide to tease him to get a reaction. With a sly look in my eyes, I reach under my skirt and slide down my tights and underwear at the same time. His eyes widen a bit at the move, and he can't help but let his smile grow back. "...minx," he accuses lightly, imagining what was under my skirt longingly. I smirk, glad that move worked, but I falter when he just goes ahead and undoes his pants, letting his cock spring out. _Eek! He just had to outdo me!_ I think as I will myself to not be flustered. It's not working, not in the least. 

Julius just stares at me with that little smile as he leisurely strokes himself. "What? Is there a problem?" He chuckles as my knees wobble. "Continue."

It takes everything I have to pull my eyes away from his dick. I haven't seen it for more than a month and I may have... forgotten how big it was. I finally obey, pulling off my undershirt and slipping my skirt off. There's nothing to shield myself with now, and his eyes hungrily drift all over my most vulnerable spots. "...get over here-" he finally says, and I couldn't do that fast enough. He pulls me into his lap, tugging me down to rub himself on me. I blush as he feels how wet I am already, how eager I am for him to claim me again. "You want me bad, don't you?" he whispers against my collarbone, his grip massaging my sides as he grinds up onto me. "Hmm?"

"Yes, I do-" I reply, feeling his hand on my chin. I look up into his eyes as he slides his other hand down my body gently.

"Well... it's _my_ birthday, not yours," he teases, his grip tightening. "Get on your knees and worship me."

As hot as that sounds, I can't help but be a little nervous. Even though it's been almost a year since we started having sex, he never let me suck his cock for very long periods of time. We experimented, but he usually didn't let it go that long. This time, though...

Julius senses my nervousness, and one of his hands comes down to hold mine and steady them. "Take your time," he reassures me, letting go and letting me slide down between his legs. I gulp, a bit daunted by the task standing before me, but I did want to make him feel good. Timidly, I lean in and brush my lips against the head of his cock, letting my tongue dart out to taste him. Julius's hand is resting on top of my head, fingers stroking the ribbon in my hair as I slowly take him into my mouth. "That's it... take it slow," he encourages, his thumb tracing my ear. I rub my tongue up and down slowly, wetting the area before I try and take it more. Julius lets out a soft, pleasured sound when he hits the roof of my mouth. "Mm..."

I'm staring to get used to it, and let myself start to suck him. His fingers suddenly tighten in my hair, drawing a wince from me. Whatever I'm doing, I must be doing it right. He starts to rock his hips slightly, his hands pushing me down a little. I fight the gag reflex and suck once real hard, causing him to form a fist in my hair. "Ah- good girl, do that again," he orders, letting his head fall back against the back of the sofa. I obey him immediately, and his movements quicken, getting rougher. He lets soft praises stream from his lips as the pleasure builds up. I close my eyes and focus on moving, feeling his cock twitch in my mouth. He opens his eyes, looking delighted from the experience so far. "You're going to swallow for me, right?"

I let out a small hum of agreement, and that's enough to send him over the edge. With a loud groan, he pushes me down farther as he cums, emptying himself down my throat. I whimper a bit at the strange feeling, desperately trying to swallow around his cock. Eventually, I feel his hand on my chin again and he tilts me up to look at him. His eyes are lidded, his mouth open slightly as he catches his breath. Finally, he lifts my head and lets his cock leave my mouth, allowing me to finally breathe. "...good job... I should have you do that more often," he teases lightly. "Get up here." 

I eaglery oblige. Julius gently turns me around, and I feel him reach up and start to pull the ribbon out of my hair. "Hmm?"

"Relax," he assures me, running a hand down my arm before grabbing my wrists. I don't resist as he pulls both of my hands behind my back, but my eyes widen as he suddenly starts tying them together with the ribbon. "Uh- J-Julius-"

He silences me with a kiss series of kisses on my neck. "I told you, relax... I thought a little bondage would spice this up."

"B-bondage?" I stutter, glad that he can't see my face right now. I didn't know he was into that kind of stuff, but now that I think of it, it makes sense...

He just laughs a little and reaches around to grab at my breast, earning a little cry. "Just a little... it doesn't hurt, does it?" He's right, the ribbons are smooth yet secure on my wrists, so I nod in agreement. "Good."

It's only been about a minute, but apperently he's ready to go again. With his usual gentle strength, Julius bends me over the arm of the sofa and steadies my hips with his hand, the other lightly encricling the back of my neck. Without much hesitation, he eagerly penetrates me with one stroke. I cry out at the feeling, it's almost like he's splitting me open. "Ah..." I whine lightly. "I-It- It's so m-much..."

Julius chuckles and leans down to whisper in my ear, his clothed chest pressing into my back. It's a little humiliating, being the only one naked here. "Hmm... did you forget how it felt?" he mutters. "You're so nice and tight... almost like when I took your virginity." I can't do much but whimper and nod along, which just encourages him. "Come on, then... beg for it."

He's really letting the whole birthday thing get to his head, but it's so insanely hot that I don't mind. "I-I want it so bad-" I plead weakly. "Please... W-Wizard King-"

Apparently that's the magic word. Julius releases my neck and pins my already-bound wrists to the small of my back as he finally starts to move, setting an unforgiving pace. "F-Fuck-" he cries out, his grip tightening. I can't do much but gasp for breath as he continues to use me. He didn't take his usual time to prep me tonight, so a dull burn accompanies every thrust and I have to swallow down a few cries of pain. I bury my face in the couch and take it silently, but look back up as he suddenly stops and pulls out. 

"Ah... that's not right-" He says, looking a bit sheepish. "Sorry... I don't like being the only one feeling good."

I'm kind of happy to hear that. "I-It was pretty hot," I assure him, catching my breath. 

"Yeah, but still." Julius massages my hips gently for a moment before releasing me. "Here, get on the bed, sweetness."

I do as he says and watch as he actually strips down, revealing that wonderful, lean body that I love so much. He climbs in with me and pulls me into his lap. "That's better..." His fingers instinctively find my clit and start massaging it gently, earning a pleasured moan from my lips. When he finally places me on my stomach to enter me again, it doesn't hurt. He's much more tender this time, movements full of restraint yet deliberation. His chest presses against my back, his hips rolling into me again and again. "So good... god, I love this," he groans into my ear. "Cum for me, please!"

He doesn't have to tell me twice, and I'm soon trembling under his body. A few minutes later, he joins me for my second one, our moans entangling together as we desperately breathe out _I love you_ again and again. He doesn't stop moving until both of us are quivering with overstimulation. 

He falls asleep first this time as I watch, his face relaxing into a smile as he drifts off. My fingers trace over his face, over the strange star-shaped mark that he still hasn't explained to me. _This man... I'm so lucky,_ I think to myself, starting to feel sleepy myself. _This is such a dream... one day..._

My eyes close as I snuggle closer into his strong embrace. 

_... I'll be so happy to have his children._


	42. the final piece

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. uh oh it's plot time
> 
> 2\. also uhhhh warning bc MC has something kinda traumatic happen lmao whoops

_Seeing a "birth" was always a treat for Mikal. There was something special about seeing someone open their eyes for the first time, and the glimmer of understanding upon their first synchronization. Of course, he wished that he didn't have to wait 18 years every time a new member of the family arrived, but he hadn't found a way to work around the latency period yet. It was a strange thing, ingrained in the Simulcian DNA for an unknown reason. Mikal had no trouble conquering other facets of the Simulcian genome. He even figured out how to predict where someone's mark was going to show up. But in 100 years he hadn't learned how to make it appear faster._

_Today's birth was extra special. The girl in her tank floated peacefully, her skin unblemished by bruises or blood of the womb._ This is how it should be, _Mikal thought to himself._ No blood, no pain... the trauma of birth and death, erased forever. _He glanced over at his parents, or parent? He never knew what to call them. They told them that they sensed a mark about to manifest, any moment now. About an hour ago, Mikal's Mark started to ache as well, proving them right. Now all they had to do was wait..._

_Any moment now..._

_"Here she comes."_

_Right on cue, the girl's chest started to glow. Mikal couldn't help but smile. Just as he predicted. This was just what they needed to stick to their plan. The glow grew until it was super intense, then finally died down. To Mikal's delight, the Simulcian symbol was burned into her chest by magic, signifying that the sealing spell had worn off. "Alright... let her out."_

_A group of four people approached the tank, all perfectly in step with each other. They reached out to pull a lever, and the fluid in the tank instantly drained out. Another lever, and the door opened. The girl slumped to the ground. A few moments later, her eyes opened._

_"...hu..."_

_Her eyes widened as she gasped her first breath, tears suddenly appearing in her eyes. Instantly, the four people surrounded her. Three women, one man. They reached out in unison, grabbing her head gently. One woman started to glow from her left knee, the second woman from her right knee, the third woman from her stomach, and the man from his right hand. The girl struggled for only a moment before the spell was cast. Just like the others, her mark glowed, and her struggles stopped. Her eyelids drooped, her face blank..._

_Right on cue, her eyes started to glow._

_"Perfect! I hope the pentad isn't too uncomfortable for you guys?" Mikal asked cheerfully, letting out a sigh of relief. Every once in a while, this process would go wrong due to a mistake on their end. However, one of those mistakes ended up working out for them in the long run._

_The five of them straightened up, their youngest member integrated now. "No, it's fine," they replied, their voices synchronized. "Especially since it's just for a few minutes. we'll be a tetrad again soon enough."_

_"That's the spirit!" Mikal gave them a thumbs up. "Take our little sister upstairs... her spot has been ready for her for a year." He shook his head a little at the thought._ A whole year, for someone to be born with a Mark on their heart... it was easy to fill up spots early on, but the last two took forever! _It didn't help that Heart and Third Eye were the two most rare positions. But now..._

_Mikal watched as the Pentad disappeared down the hallway, before turning back to his parents. "It's time, then," he told them. "Soon... we only have one more piece left."_

_"The last piece..." the two of them repeated slowly. Mikal frowned a bit, although he should be used to it by now. Dyad's were known for their great power, not their great intelligence. "How will you retrieve it?"_

_"I'll send the Tetrad. It's up to you two to tell me where I can find her."_

_His parents frowned at him identically._ "You two?" _they repeated._

 _"Sorry!_ You _need to tell me where I can find her."_

_"That's better." Even in their strange state, they still managed to be annoying parents. "But don't worry... I will find her. The final piece..."_

_Mikal watched as the two of them walked off down the hall._

_"...our granddaughter."_

* * *

"Ow, ow, ow..." I rub my forehead a little, feeling aches and pains all over my body. Sleep didn't come to me easily last night and I ended up getting up a lot earlier than I meant to. I had a strange dream that I can't really remember now, punctuated by a stiff headache and a bloody taste in my mouth. Once awake, I started to worry about other things... chiefly, the fact that Nozel of all people walked in at the wrong time. Wrong person, wrong time... just thinking about it made me panic. I laid in bed silently for a couple hours, hoping everything would be alright.

"I told you, I'll handle it!" Julius tells me once I finally voice my worries. After freshening up, we moved to some sitting room in another part of the castle for breakfast. "Here, this'll help the aches." He pours a cup of tea and hands it to me. "A little more pressure, and he won't peep to anyone."

I gratefully accept the tea, taking a little sip. "...alright." I'm still not convinced, but his assurance puts me at ease for the time being. I wince a little as another ache shoots through my stomach. "Ah-"

"Are you alright?" I nod quickly in response. Julius doesn't seem to believe me and reaches down to feel my forehead. "Hmm... you aren't feverish-"

"Of course not, I'm fine," I cut him off a bit more sharply than I meant to. "I mean... ah, I think you gave me more of a workout last night than usual. Plus, I just walked across the kingdom. Of course I'm feeling a bit achy!" I manage to chuckle a little at the end, which seems to erase his worries. I eye the food on the table, not sure that I want to eat any of it. The pangs in my stomach don't feel like hunger, more like nausea... then again, it's hard to remember exactly what hunger feels like. "I think I get off my break tomorrow, so you still have me until then."

Julius smiles as he pours some tea for himself before sitting down in an armchair. "Wonderful! Although, I think Marx is going to get on my case again today..." he groans a little at the thought. "I only get one break from work at a time, it seems."

"Well, I can help you with it if you need me to," I offer, cupping my tea with both hands and enjoying the warmth. "Paperwork dates are still dates~"

"True," he agrees, his eyes lingering on me before he redirects his attention to the food. "You're not hungry?"

I stiffen a bit at the question, hoping that he wasn't catching on to my problem. "No... I ate plenty last night." _When I wasn't even hungry, too!_ "The tea is really good, though."

We chat for a bit longer before silence settles in, and I remember the reason for my whole training trip in the first place. _This might be a good time to bring it up... I'm sure he'll be happy to hear that I've become so much stronger._ Making up my mind, I take a deep breath and set down my cup. "Julius..." I say to grab his attention. "There's something I wanted to talk about with you."

He raises an eyebrow. "Good new or bad news?" he asks carefully.

"Good news! I think," I reply. "It's about... this whole training trip I went on... part of the reason was what I told you. I want to become stronger so I can rise in the ranks and establish myself as someone respectable... someone worthy of the Wizard King, at least in the nobility's eyes. But... there's another reason that I didn't tell you back then."

Julius narrows his eyes a bit. "...and what reason is that?"

My resolve falters a bit at his expression, but I can't back out now. "...I want to be able to control that spell. _Our_ spell," I finally state. "I went places where I could train my magic control, and increase my own strength." His eyes widen a bit at the admission. "I taught my body how to handle and emit huge amounts of mana, more than I've ever successfully been able to do before. And now, a month and a half later, I'm more powerful than I've ever been. So..." I clench my fist and give him a confident smile. "I want to try it again! Let's amplify our magic together!"

For a moment, his expression is completely unreadable. I'm not sure if he's mad or just taking it all in. I kind of sprung this on him out of the blue, so I really don't blame him if he needs a moment. Finally, he speaks. "...you... you want to do that _again?"_

"...that's what I just said, right?"

His gaze flickers down to the ground for a moment as he thinks it over. His brow furrows further before he finally gives me an answer.

"... no."

"...what do you mean, _no?"_

"I mean, _no._ Absolutely not. Don't you remember what happened last time?" Julius's disapproval melts into an emotion more akin to worry. "That was horrible!"

"You were the one who wanted to do it last time!" I remind him, my heart falling. _I went thought that whole training, just for him to say no?!_ "And it's different this time-"

"No, it's not different," he cuts me off. "I'm glad that you're trying to become stronger, and that you're driven to try new things, but.." He shakes his head. "Just because you learned better mana control doesn't mean that you're going to be able to take the force of it again. No matter what you do, you're not going to be able to change the size of your vessel... and it's going to break."

"You don't know that!" In the back of my mind, however, I start to wonder if he's right. I don't want to give up... 

_If I can't do it, he's going to leave me behind, right?_

_No, he said he wanted a future with me regardless._

_But still... I want him to admire me for my strength!_

_"_ I'm not going to break!" I repeat. "If it starts to hurt again, you can just break the spell like you did last time, right?"

Something flickers through his eyes at those words. "I-I suppose, but-"

"Julius, I trust you! And you need to trust me too-"

"You shouldn't!" He suddenly interrupts me, his voice rising slightly. I stop talking immediately, my heart jolting. That's the first time he's ever raised his voice at me.

"...what do you mean?"

My gaze falls to his hands, and I notice that they're shaking. Not out of anger...

Julius's voice is soft when he speaks again. "...I didn't want to stop." I meet his eyes again, and they're full of guilt. He quickly looks away. "When we used it last time... your pain was there in the back of my mind, but I ignored it. I wanted to hold on, because the way it felt... like we were becoming one person. I didn't want it to stop, ever. And when we shared our mana, you amplified mine, and I've never felt that much power in my hands before." He cringes at the thought. "I kept going, way too far. Our memories started to blend together, and I felt my _self_ start to disappear. It felt... so..." He squeezes his eyes shut. "...good."

I blink owlishly as he speaks, taking it all in. "...you already told me that it didn't hurt-"

"It didn't just _not hurt._ It was ecstasy," he cuts in. "The more mana we had, the more it hurt you, and the more it pleasured me. It was sick. Eventually I realized what it was doing to you and it took everything I had to break out. If we do it again, I-I fear..." He shakes his head. "I don't know why you have that spell, but something's not right when we try to use it ourselves. I don't want to put myself in that position again, where I- I could-"

 _...he's trying to protect me again, this time from himself,_ I think to myself as his voice trails off again and we're plunged into nervous silence. _I understand why, now... but still..._

"Jul-"

Suddenly, the door slams open and Marx runs in. "Sir! Oh, sorry, am I-"

Julius looks up, quickly putting on a smile. "No, you're not interrupting anything. Go ahead."

Marx nods and holds up a letter. "We just got a message from Raque, we might have to organize a patrol over there."

"Oh?" Julius sighs and finally rises to his feet. "Let's go talk about that..." He starts to walk over to the door, but stops as he passes me. After a moment of silent staring, he smiles again, genuinely this time, and reaches down to pat my head. "I love you," he says. "And I'll be right back... but we aren't going to discuss this anymore, okay?"

I suck in a breath, feeling a bit annoyed, but I don't want him to actually get mad at me. "...okay."

Julius nods, leaning down to kiss the top of my head before turning and following Marx out, leaving the door to the hallway open behind him. Once he's gone, I flop down on the couch and let out a monster groan. _UGH! I wish I had brought this idea up sooner, maybe it wouldn't have been so disappointing. But it's like he said... he doesn't want to put himself in that position again. I can't force him to, so I'll just have to live with that fact._ It's frustrating, knowing that I may never get the chance to master the spell given to me by my mysterious heritage. In fact, this could very well be where that mystery ends. But Julius is more important... our life is more important.

I hear footsteps approaching the door but don't think much of it until they stop as they pass. "...Who are you and what are you doing in there?"

I sit up and look over to see none other than Augustus Kira Clover the 13th, his majesty himself, standing there in the doorway.

"Ah! Your majesty!" I jump to my feet and bow deeply. _Why on earth is he here alone? So early, too..._ "Er, you probably don't remember me-"

"Hmm... actually, you do seem familiar." His eyes sweep over my body before returning to my face. "You're that Knight from my birthday, right?" He smiles, in a way that I'm not sure I like. "Good morning! What brings you here to the castle?"

 _Uh oh._ His tone has changed completely since getting a good look at me. "Ah, I-I was meeting with the Wizard King on the behalf of my squad. He wanted to know how things were going." _Eek! Is that convincing enough?_

"Hmm, and he left you here all alone? How rude," Augustus answers, only narrowing his eyes slightly. He stands there for a moment, considering his options, before giving me a nod. "Well, this is your lucky day. Be seated, dear... You're eating breakfast with the King."

_... oh god._

I have no choice but to sit, straight as a board, as Augustus cozies up with me on the couch. His attention is quickly caught by the food on the table in front of us, and he makes short work of it. "Come on then, eat!" he orders me, holding up a bunch of grapes to my mouth. I shy away from it slightly. "Ah, I'm not feeling very hungry, actually... Julius went overboard with the food."

"Hmm. Whatever." Augustus munches on the grapes himself. Then, his eyes travel back to me, practically burning tracks over my body. _Oh god oh god oh god._ "...how old are you?"

"...twenty, sir."

His index finger coils around his pathetic little beard as he considers my answer. "Hmm..." I stare straight ahead as he continues staring at me expectantly. _Don't do anything, don't do anything- EEK!_ Sure enough, I feel a hand suddenly touch my thigh. "What are these? Muscles? How unsightly," Augustus sneers, his hand being awfully friends. "But still..."

To my horror, he starts to feel up my leg. Reflexively, I reach down and grab his hand. "Ah, sir, t-this isn't proper-"

"Hmm?" I hate the way he hums like that! "How so?"

My hand is shaking as I fight to keep him from going any higher. He only seems to be getting more excited by my struggle. "W-well, I-I'm a lowly magic knight, there's n-no way that I'm worthy of y-your attention-"

His hand tightens. "Is that really it? Well, I'm the King, and I say you're just worthy enough."

It doesn't seem like much of an honor, and my heart pounds as he starts to scoot closer. _Shit! What am I supposed to do?! This is our kingdom's monarch! Julius, come back, please!_ "Really, sir, I-I don't want to-"

"Why? Because you already belong to someone else?" My eyes widen a bit at his words. _H-how would he know that? Unless it was just a guess._ "They can't be better than the King, can they?"

I quickly compare Augustus to Julius and find that, yes, Julius is definitely better. But Augustus isn't giving up, and before I can react, one of his arms folds around my shoulder. "Come on, dear..."

He leaves me no choice. I probably could have thought of a more eloquent way to communicate my feelings, but no one can blame me for what I do next. I've had enough. Gritting my teeth, I draw back my arm and then elbow him as hard as I can in the face.

"AGHH!" 

Something cracks. Augustus is caught completely by surprise, and falls backwards off of the couch. Before he can do anything, I spring out of my seat and make a break for it, running as fast as I can down the hall, as far away from that room as I could. _I'm sorry, Julius, but I have to go! I'll explain everything later,_ I think sadly, the rest of my mind still panicked from that much-too close encounter with the King. 

I don't stop running until I'm far out of the castle gates, then finally slow down to catch my breath. _That... was way too close._ My hands are shaking now from the adrenaline, fear still pumping through my veins. _Shit... I knew Augustus was sketchy, but... he'd really try and come onto me like that? Disgusting!_ Shaking my head, a strong wave of nausea swells in my stomach. _Ah!_ I run into a nearby alley and fall to my knees just before the contents of my stomach reappear. I cough until it's all out, then fall back on my butt.

 _...ouch..._ The queasy feeling takes a few minutes to subside. Even though my stomach is empty now, hunger does not return. _God... what's happening to me?_ I hold my head in my hands as I slowly calm down, then wipe my mouth off. _Maybe... maybe I need to see a doctor. I've been putting it off for a while. Strange things have been happening lately. The lack of hunger, the nosebleeds, and_ that _... Yeah, I'm going to the doctor, right now._

I finally rise to my feet and straighten myself out before heading off towards the royal hospital. The shock of that encounter is slowly fading into the back of my mind.

_Maybe I can get some peace of mind, today. I need to spend some time away from the castle, too. I just want to be a magic knight for a while after this, nothing more._

Little did I know, I had inadvertently changed the course of my fate, and the craziest day of my entire life began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time... Chapter 43: the detour. Life is full of surprises. Including an impromptu trip to the beach.


	43. the detour

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Interaction dropped off again... you know the drill. I bribe you with an extra spicy scene and you boost my self esteem
> 
> 2\. Seriously tho, thanks for reading so far!!! I can't believe that I've actually written so much already, and there's still so much to go!

It's only five minutes into my doctor's appointment, and something has already gone wrong. Although... I'm not sure exactly what's wrong, but now Owen is staring at me like I grew another head. 

It started easy enough. I signed in and waited around for a little while until a nurse came and fetched me. Then, I was brought to the examination room where I met doctor Owen. "Hey! You're that girl from the King's Birthday, aren't you?" he greeted, shaking my hand. "Nice to see you again!"

"Likewise," I said, sharing his smile. "You remember me from way back then?"

"Of course," he replied, motioning for me to take a seat across from him. "It was a pretty big ordeal... and Julius never stopped talking about you." Oh, that's embarrassing. "Between you and me..." Owen winks as he sits down, pulling out a clipboard. "...I think he might have a crush on you."

 _...grr, Julius!_ I think, still maintaining a neutral smile. "Really? Hmm."

"But anyway, let's see..." Owen examines my paperwork. "It says you're here for a 'sick' visit, what's the problem?"

I tap my heel a little nervously as I begin to list off all my symptoms. Owen frowns the more I talk, jotting things down on his clipboard. "Nosebleeds, lack of hunger, and nausea this morning?" He nods a little before looking up at me. "May I examine you for a little bit?" I quickly agree and he summons his magic. A mass of water contorts into the shape of a jellyfish, it's long tentacles moving to wrap around parts of my body. It feels a little weird, but also kind of nice. "Hmm... it seems like there's some hormonal imbalances in there," he tells me slowly. "But other than that, I can't detect any other physiological problems." His magic retracts and disappears. "Any other strange symptoms?" He picks up his cup of coffee as he listens.

"Ah well..." I take a moment to think it over. "My need for water _hasn't_ changed... I can go about 3 days without eating before getting hungry... But I'm still gaining muscle weight, especially after my training trip... my period stopped coming a couple months ago, and-"

Owen chokes and accidentally spits out some coffee. "Ah! Doctor, are you alright?"

"Huh- oh, yeah." He clears his throat awkwardly and sets the coffee down before he can make even more of a mess. But now, his eyes look... extremely concerned. "What did you just say?"

"...My need for water hasn't-"

"No, no, after that..."

I frown, not really understanding. "...my period stopped coming a couple months ago?"

Owen blinks a few times, taking it in. "...ah..." He rubs his beard nervously. "You know what _that_ means, right? When your period stops?"

My eyes narrow a bit as he stares at me. "Um... I thought it was a good thing?" My mother was the one who told me about my period. _You're going to be so happy when it doesn't come._ She was right. I always had particularly painful periods that left me curled up in pain for days. It really 'cramped' my style. You can imagine how happy I was four months ago when I skipped it, and I haven't had it since.

This only seems to worry Owen even more. "...where did you grow up again?"

"Out on the edge of the common realm."

"Hmm..." Owen sighs. "I guess they don't have very good sex education out there... well, um." He picks up his clipboard again and starts writing furiously. "Are you sexually active?"

"...yeah."

"And do you use protection?"

"... no, not really."

"Not really?"

"Well, kind of?" I laugh nervously, not really knowing what he's trying to get at. "He, uh... he...'erases' it. With his magic."

Owen pinches the bridge of his nose. "Well... that's your problem. Using magic as birth control is shaky at best. It's much better to use condoms."

I'm pretty sure that the word _condom_ isn't even in Julius's vocabulary. However, I'm finally starting to catch on to what Owen is saying. "So... skipping my period... does that mean..."

"I'm surprised you didn't know already. Didn't your mother teach you that kind of thing?"

She taught me plenty of things, sure, things that kind of scared me at the time, but the _one_ thing she didn't tell me was what happened when my period didn't come. I never thought to ask _why_ I got my period. I was so embarrassed to discuss it with anyone, even Lyra when she tried to talk to me about it back then. _But... if what I'm hearing is true... Curse you, mom! Did you leave that part off on purpose?!_

"It lines up with some of your symptoms. The nausea you had this morning might be morning sickness, it's pretty common for women within their first trimester."

_...first trimester..._

I feel a hand on my shoulder and get pulled back to reality. Owen offers me a comforting smile. "This probably isn't what you expected when you came in today, right?" I nod a little, my hands starting to shake. "I don't know what the situation is, but you're a magic knight. The royal hospital will take care of you, don't worry about that. And for all we know, this might be something totally different." His words calm me down a little, but I'm still having trouble processing the situation. "After all, you aren't showing at all yet. Let me take some blood samples, and I'll analyze them later today."

"...alright."

He takes my blood while I stare at the ground in shock. Everything is finally sinking in. I know he said that this might not be what we think it is, but the mere possibility is terrifying. I know Julius and I talked about this just last night, but we were talking _years_ in the future! Not the literal _next day._

"All done!" Owen heals my arms and sits back. "There's not much else to do, now. Can you come back tomorrow to get the results?"

I nod weakly, and he helps me stand up before he walks me to the exit. "I know this is scary... but we'll talk about your options tomorrow, okay? You're not the first young mother in the magic knights that I've seen. You kids can be crazy sometimes."

"...thank you." I smile up at him before turning to leave, the path ahead of me more uncertain than ever.

I'm frustrated, scared, unsure of what I'm supposed to do. I briefly consider running back to the castle to tell Julius, but I don't want to bother him right now. This is... literally the worst timing. If I actually have a baby, what am I supposed to do? I can't raise a child while being a magic knight! I could always take some time off to have the baby, then hand it over to Julius to raise in the castle. I would still see them a lot, and Julius would get to be with his child. But then, there would be questions as to who the father is, and Julius will be under scrutiny for suddenly having a kid running around the castle. What's he supposed to say? _"This is my illegitimate child!"_

_Calm down. I might not be pregnant. Even so, I wish I had been educated a little more about this whole thing..._

My feet instinctively walk all the way home to the Crimson Lion Base. Just as I'm entering the courtyard, a group of my squadmates walks in as well, all dressed up and holding brooms as if they're about to go somewhere. Fuegoleon is at the front, and he slows down when he sees me. "Hey! You're back!"

I can't help but smile at the sight of him. It's been a month and a half since I got to hang out with my squad, and among all the new craziness in my life, I feel a pang of nostalgia. "Fuegoleon... where are you guys going?"

They stop next to me to chat. "Raque," Fuegoleon explains. "Apparently there's a group of foreign pirates patrolling the coast, they want us to be around just in case there's an attack." Raque... I remember that Marx mentioned a situation there. That's next to the ocean, right? My eyes light up. "Oh! Can I come?"

"Hmm? You still have another day left in your break-"

"I'll go crazy sitting around all day! I'm itching to fight something." Also, I need to distract myself from the multiple problems plaguing me today. "Please?"

Fuegoleon lets out a sigh. "If you really want to, sure. I doubt that we'll actually have to fight anyone anyway. Oh!" He steps aside to reveal the people standing behind him. I recognize some, but others are strangers. "A few of our new recruits are coming today. Newbies, she joined the squad a year ago. Strive to be like her!"

I smile, a little embarrassed, looking out at their faces. One familiar, freckled face stands out to me, and my jaw drops.

"H-Horatio?!"

My eyes don't deceive me. Horatio Chessman is standing there, wearing a Crimson Lion King cloak. His mouth splits into a smug grin. "Hey there, candlestick."

The nicknames irks me even after all this time, but not in a cruel way... once again, it feels almost nostalgic. "Hey! You just joined, so I'm technically your senior now, right?"

"Wrong!" Horatio holds up his finger as he explains in the most pretentious way. "I left the Magic Knights with the rank of Intermediate Knight 1st class. What are you, again?"

 _Intermediate Knight 2nd class,_ I think to myself, but I'm not about to admit it. "Well, I've been on this squad longer than you, so that makes me your senior. Right, Fuegoleon?"

Fuegoleon is already pinching the bridge of his nose. "...whatever makes you two stop arguing!" he replies, sounding tired. "Horatio was an exceptional Knight before he was forced to leave... maybe you're not back at your full power yet, but I believe that Silva's loss is our gain." Horatio smiles genuinely at the compliment, and I can't help but do the same. _Horatio... I'm so happy for you!_

"If we're done discussing this, we need to get on our way." Everyone agrees and readies their brooms. Fuegoleon holds out his hand to help me onto his. "Come on... I want to hear all about your training with my sister!"

* * *

_...big..._

That's the only thought in my mind as Horatio and I stand on the beach of Raque, staring blankly out at the ocean for the first time. Both of us come from the same little town in the woods, so he probably went through the same thing I am at this point. Even so, his eyes still widen when the expanse of water comes into view. "...I can never get used to it," he finally says, drawing my gaze away from the sparkling surface. "Nozel acted like it was nothing, but I couldn't take my eyes off of it. It's a reminder... of why I became a Magic Knight in the first place."

His eyes turn sad for just a moment, and it reminds me of just how much he had to overcome. A man of common birth made his way into a squad of nobles, only to be injured and unjustly released. Even with stunted powers, he worked hard to regain his place, the place where he belonged.

"I was so close to giving up.." His smile comes back. "But I got a package in the mail, an award from the Wizard King... he said he was proud of me and was looking forward to me taking the exam again. I never thought he even noticed me all this time!" Horatio laughs a little before turning to me. "Anyway, I was looking forward to seeing your face when you realized we were on the same squad. I wasn't disappointed!" 

"Hey!" I pout at him playfully before we laugh about it together. It's nice, after months apart and YEARS of bullying, we can finally laugh about it all together as we're on the same squad. Horatio and I have both made it... and the smile on his face tells me that this is where he belongs.

Fuegoleon scans the horizon with a pair of binoculars before looking back at his squad. "I don't see the ship. But we better stay the night just to be sure. If there's going to be an attack, it'll be at night."

"Ooh! Ooh! Can we swim?" someone asks excitedly.

"I don't see why not."

"Hey, Crimson Lion Nerds, who told you that you could come on our beach?"

That voice is familiar! We turn to see none other than Yami walking towards us, flanked by a few members of his squad. William is there, too, but looks like he wants to be anywhere else. "Yami? What are the Grey Deer doing here?" Fuegoleon asks, looking them over. I give Yami a short wave, since I haven't seen him in weeks. 

He returns the wave before looking at Fuegoleon. "Same reason as you. Those pirates? Looks like they ran off when they heard I was coming."

"I doubt that." Fuegoleon sighs and looks at William, who he obviously considers to be the more rational of the two vice captains. "You can leave, my squad will handle this."

"Nuh-uh." Yami cuts in. "Since we're here, we're going to have some _squad bonding time._ We'll play you in volleyball if you help us keep shifts tonight!"

Fuegoleon scowls disapprovingly. "Yami, you can't just order us around," he says. "However... volleyball sounds kind of fun..." His face hardens as the competitor inside takes control. "Very well! The Crimson Lions will face the Grey Deer in combat!"

Everyone cheers, and Fuegoleon smiles to himself. "Alright, it's decided. Everyone, go to town and get some bathing suits. I'll go book rooms at the hotel."

This was turning out to be a really good idea! I'm glad that I had the whim to come along on this mission, despite everything that happened today. Well, it ended up being less of a mission and more of a vacation, but I'm not going to complain. Yami riles us all up as we run into town, brandishing our money, to buy the necessary supplies for a day at the beach. I've never worn a bathing suit before, but I'm sure it can't be that complicated...

Spoiler alert: it _is_ complicated. I've never seen something so simple as a bathing suit get blown this out of proportion. The men's aisle is easy enough, since there's only like two styles of swim trunks, but the women's... oh god. Suits in every shape and size, with way too many strings, showing way to much skin, with too many flashy things all over it... it's insane!

"haha! Masked Weirdo! I think you'd look good in this!" William looks over to see Yami holding up a tiny Speedo. 

"No, I don't think I would." 

"Are you sure?" Yami turns the garment around to reveal words printed on the back: _Beach Boy._ "Since you're a little beach boy!"

"Yami, could you help me pick something out?" I ask from the next aisle over. "I've never been so overwhelmed before!"

"Sure!" Yami walks over, and the moment I see him I turn bright red. "Y-Y-Yami! What the Hell are you wearing?!"

The garment around his waist isn't a bathing suit, I don't even know what to call it. It's just a tiny strip of cloth that barely covers anything. "Oh, this? This is a loincloth. We have 'em back home."

"Oh.." I quickly avert my eyes as he walks up next to me. "So, uh, my bathing suit."

We rummage around until Yami pulls one out. "How about this?" He smirks as my eyes widen. It's a tiny little thing, and the back of the bottoms...

"Isn't that just a thong?!"

"I think _you know who_ would like to see you in this."

The mere mention of Julius makes my ears turn red, and reminds me of the... big problem. I swallow the worries down. "Well, _you know who_ isn't here! I'm not wearing that!" I snatch it away from him and put it back on the rack. "I need something simple that's not going to fall off if I get hit by a wave!"

A short time later, I'm standing out on the beach again, dressed in my new bathing suit. It's a relatively modest bikini, covering everything it needs to. It took me about five minutes to figure out how all the strings tied together. I'm still not thrilled about the fact that my stomach, legs, and back are completely exposed, and I'm attracting a few stares from my male squadmates. "If you don't stop staring, I'm going to burn all of your eyes out!" They quickly look away.

"Come on, men!" Fuegoleon yells. "It's time for us to once again prove that our squad is the best!" A cheer erupts from us as we run out to the beach volleyball pit, rearing to go. Yami is there already, holding the ball in his hands and wearing nothing but his strange loincloth.

William stands in the outskirts, barefoot with his pants rolled up a bit. "I'm going to go collect seashells," he tells us before turning and walking away, clearing uninterested in playing the game. However, Yami isn't going to let that happen. He grabs his friend by the arm and drags him back into the pit. "No way! You're going to have fun, even if I have to force you!"

We all laugh at the vice-captains' antics before getting serious. Our pride is on the line, after all. "Whoever loses buys drinks for the other squad!" I suggest, then quickly remember that I probably shouldn't be drinking alcohol for a couple months. Shit! I really hope this pregnancy scare is just that... a scare.

"Get ready!" Yami throws the ball for the serve... and spikes it right into the net. "...whoops."

Horatio sighs. "This is going to be a long day..."

Even though today started out pretty bad... this is exactly what I needed. Being here with my friends is melting away my multitude of worries bit by bit, even if it's only temporary. It's fun, scrambling across the sand and trying to hit the ball back over to our opponents. The Crimson Lions quickly win, earning ourselves the free drinks. However, I elect for a calmer activity: collecting seashells with William.

"Look! This one still has a crab inside." He holds it up to show me that there's a tiny hermit crab in the shell's chamber. "Can't keep this one." He turns and throws it back into the surf. His eyes linger on the water for a moment before he continues to walk. "I heard you went on a training trip... how did that go?"

"Pretty good," I say, my mood deflating slightly when I remember my conversation with Julius this morning. "I'm definitely stronger... I'm just lacking direction right now." I bend down and pick up a nice, pink shell and hold it up to admire it in the sunlight.

"Direction?" William muses. "Well... I guess it would be a good idea to set a goal for yourself. Unless you already have?"

"...Kind of. I might give up on that one though..." I glance over at him. "You're only three years ahead of me... maybe my goal should be to become vice-captain." Excitement stirs within me at the thought. To be a leader in my squad... that would be amazing!

"And after that, I'm sure you could find a way to be captain," William adds. "Maybe not of the Crimson Lions... you could be appointed to be the captain of a different squad, or even a new one! Yami and I are competing for the Captainship of the Grey Deer, but we heard a rumor that more squads could be added within the next few years."

 _New squads..._ I can imagine it now, creating my own group of people to lead and have our own identity. Would I have to come up with a name? A symbol? Uniforms? "...You, me, Yami, Fuegoleon... maybe one day we'll all be captains." I can see it so clearly, the four of us standing on stage at the star festival while Julius announces the results of the contest. "...my squad's going to surpass yours for sure!"

William raises an eyebrow. "Oh? We'll see... but I'm sure you'd be able to. Master Julius thinks very highly of you, although I'm sure you already know that."

 _... yeah..._ I frown a little at the thought. "...Sometimes, I think he doesn't give me enough credit. Like..." my voice trails off for a second. "He has a whole kingdom to protect, but sometimes it feels like he spends too much time protecting me. I wish he would trust me a little more."

"...hmm." William probably doesn't know what to say to that. "Perhaps... that's just his way of showing how much he cares."

"I _know_ how much he cares. Trust me." I sigh and pick up another shell.

William kicks at the sand with his toe for a moment, thinking, before smiling at me. "Like I said... he thinks very highly of you. Maybe he's just under a lot of stress right now, with the aggression from the Diamond Kingdom and all. Give him some time... and I know he'll come around. He's never been hesitant to push people past their limits, and in time he'll do the same for you."

_...maybe that's right... Julius has been pretty stressed lately. I just need to keep doing what I'm doing and he'll see... but now that I might be pregnant, will he just become more protective?_

Suddenly, I wish that I had just stayed at the castle and ran to find him after my appointment. He always knows what to say, and he knows when he has to be the strong one. _"If you need someone to cling to... I can be that person."_ Warmth fills my heart when I remember those words, and I can't help but smile. "Right... thanks, William. That makes me feel better."

"You're very welcome."

We walk off down the beach, trying to leave our troubles behind. I can deal with them tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time... Chapter 44: the worst case scenario. A much-needed reconciliation is cut short.


	44. the long awaited abduction (**)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Okay so this chapter is probably a bit more than just ** but it's short and I couldn't resist... they were in a HOT TUB you guys >///<
> 
> 2\. Also I decided to change the name of the chapter so the "next time" of the last chapter isn't correct anymore.

The day dragged on and on. There's something about the sun that just stretches hours out for the people basking under its rays. After a couple hours of playing, swimming, sunbathing, and other hijinks, the sun sets behind us and casts the sky in orange. We're all still out on the beach outside of our hotel. Fuegoleon has turned a bit more serious, scanning the horizon with his binoculars again. "Still no sign of the pirates. One lookout per shift should be enough," he tells us as he returns.

"That shouldn't be a problem... I think most of us are planning an all nighter tonight," Yami replies, earning a soft cheer from the men. We're all sitting around a bonfire that Yami created. He made me light it with my flames so it's "cool and blue." 

"Not me-" We turn to see William with a communicator in his hand, all dressed up in his cloak again. "I just had a call from our captain, so I'll be heading back to the base. I trust you can take care of this, Yami?"

Yami gives him a thumbs up. "You always find a way out of these things... have a safe trip home, Vangeance."

"Thank you." William gives us a nod before turning and disappearing into the night.

"Here, I heard of this cool new thing," Gareth says, pulling out a bag of something and a stick. "These marshmallows... apparently they're good on a graham cracker with a little chocolate!"

"Marshmallows?" I look at the strange thing in Gareth's hand. It's white and looks fluffy.

Gareth excitedly impales it on the end of the stick and puts it into the fire. A few moments later, the white outside turns a neat golden brown color. "Try it!" He sticks it right in my face. Cautiously, I take a bite, my eyes widening. "!!! That's!! So good!!"

The others laugh at my reaction, and Gareth distributes supplies for us to roast our own marshmallows. Yami grabs another beer and tosses it to me. "Think fast!"

"Ah!" I manage to catch it, but immediately throw it back. "Not tonight... I'm taking a break from drinking."

Yami looks more shocked than I've ever seen him before. "You're kidding! Alcoholic Forehead Girl, take a break from drinking?! Did you hit your head while training or something?"

Horatio's eyes widen as he looks over at me. "You became an alcoholic?!"

"No!"

"Honestly, I'm not surprised..."

"Hey!" Yami barks at the younger man. "I'm the only one who can make fun of Forehead Girl, is that clear?"

Horatio blinks once, then smirks. "Oh yeah? Well, I'm pretty sure I've been making fun of her longer... since we were kids, right?"

"Hey! That's just straight bullying, then."

"Come on, it built character!"

"More like built trauma. The only one who's allowed to traumatize Forehead Girl is ME."

I chuckle as the two continue arguing, but my mood starts to drop again. Without really thinking about it, my hand drifts to my exposed stomach, ghosting over the skin lightly.

_... a baby..._

"Hey, where are you going?"

I'm standing up from the ground and brushing sand off my butt when Yami notices my movement. "I'm gonna check out the hot tub. It looked pretty nice before."

"Here, take this with you." Fuegoleon throws me a communicator. "I'll call you if anything goes wrong."

"Right!" I give them a wave before turning and walking away. The sea breeze is a bit chilly, so I pull my thin shirt a bit tighter around my shoulders. In reality, I just have so much going on in my head that I need to sort through. At this point, I decided that I'm definitely going to go see Julius as soon as I get back, because I can't take it alone anymore. No matter what happens, I know that he'll support me...

 _...He really wanted a baby anyway, right?_ I can't help but smile at the thought of last night, when he confessed his wish to have a family with me. I can imagine his face when I tell him I might be pregnant, and what he would say. _"My goodness! Darling, maybe this happened earlier than we expected, but it's still a blessing! Thank you!"_

I finally reach the hot tub. It's pretty late at night, so it's secluded in this part of the resort. I have a good, private view of the beach from here, surrounded by bushes of a flower Yami told me was called _hibiscus._ It's a nice spot... somewhere where I can be alone for a while, at least. Letting out a happy sigh, I discard the shirt and sink down into the warm water, my gaze moving out towards the starry night. _I could be at the castle with Julius right now, if I hadn't gotten scared off by Augustus,_ I think to myself. _But then, I wouldn't have had a nice day at the beach. Well, I'm sure I'll see Julius again soon enough-_

"Good Evening."

_...I KNEW this was going to happen!_

I whirl around and come face to face with a pair of feet, clad in socks and sandals. _Uh oh._ My gaze travels up the body, a very familiar, swim-trunk-clad body, and to his face. Almost instinctively, I feel myself smile despite my disbelief. "...what on earth?!" I have so many questions: why is he here? how did he know I was here? where did he get the swimsuit? But all the the questions disappear at the sight of _that_ smile. 

It's Julius, of course, hands on his hips as he stares down at me from high above. "Long time, no see," he teases, kicking off his footwear before walking around to enter the pool with me. "I was standing there for a while I was wondering when you- OOF!" The wind is practically knocked out of him as I hurl myself into his chest, immediately and shamelessly burying my face between his pecs. "Whoa! That was long enough to miss me?" I feel the pressure of his arms around my body, pulling me closer. The warmth of his body melts my fear away. _Everything's going to be alright... he's here..._ I take in a shaky breath, which he immediately notices. "Hey, what's wrong?" 

I don't even know where to begin. Augustus? The baby? Etc? I shake my head and tighten my grip. "Just... give me a second."

"Of course, sweetness." 

After a few deep breaths, I find myself calming down and finally sit up a little. Julius smiles down at me encouragingly, shifting a little so I can sit in his lap. "Now... let's start at the beginning." His arms loop loosely around my waist. "What happened this morning?"

"...I'm sorry I ran out like that. I-" I momentarily consider lying so he doesn't get upset. _I wasn't feeling well and went to the doctor._ However, I can't bring myself to lie to him. I don't want to hide anything from his kind eyes, even if it's scary to tell him. "When you left me alone... I was paid a visit by King Augustus." My gaze drops from his, feeling ashamed. "He started eating our food, and trying to talk to me... a-and he-" 

I don't even have to finish. Understanding flashes through Julius's eyes, and then anger. "...He did _what?_ " Even I feel a little scared when Julius's face hardens, a look of furious deadpan playing on his features. Gentle Julius is gone... but just for a moment. One of his big hands comes up to caress my face, a pained look moving through his eyes. "... I should have taken you with me. I'm so sorry... or I should have had the meeting in that room, I could have protected you, I-"

"Julius." I reach up and grab the hand on my face softly, pausing his words. To his surprise, I'm smiling a little. "...I protected myself. He started to touch my leg, so I elbowed him in the face and ran. I should have run to you, but it was a heat of the moment thing, you know..." His eyes widen at little at the information. "You don't think I'll get in trouble, do you?"

Julius considers it for a moment. "...I don't know. Augustus isn't the type to let that kind of thing slide... but he would have made a big stink about it today if he was going to. I wouldn't worry too much. Besides, I can handle him if he causes problems. Although..." He leans in a presses his lips to my forehead. "...I know you can take care of yourself." He pulls back to look into my eyes again. "I came all the way out here because I owe you an apology. I needed some time alone to think it through, but you're right... I underestimated you."

I can't help but let my mouth fall open a bit at the admission. "...really?" I ask, still a little confused as to why he changed his mind.

He chuckles at my surprise. "I just remembered... the only reason I'm alive today is because of you. You've done so many amazing things, and you have amazing powers. It's not my place to keep you from exploring them." He frowns a bit. "But you have to understand... I still mean what I said this morning. If we use that spell again... I don't know if I'll be able to break it. Back then... I don't know how to describe what I felt." His gaze falls, ashamed. "I... thought I killed you."

"...Julius."

I reach out and gently touch his chin. He looks back up to see me smiling again.

"...As if I would let you kill me!"

We sit there in silence for a moment, letting the words sink in. Then... he starts to laugh, filled with relief and genuine mirth. "Of course you wouldn't... you're amazing."

I can't help but join him, giggling as he pulls me into a tight hug once again. "...thank you." My heart is soaring at the new possibilities ahead of us. Maybe it'll be hard, or even painful, but I meant what I said: I trust him, even if he doesn't trust himself. I'm not weak anymore. I arguably never was. But now I'm confident in my abilities, and maybe next time I'll be the one who's in control. 

Julius pulls back just enough to lean in for a kiss, which I return enthusiastically. He hums in satisfaction, his hands sliding down my body and getting a bit friendly. It's not long before the kiss becomes heated, and I feel his hand start to roughly palm between my legs. "J-Julius, not here-" I try to reason with him. "We're in a hot tub, for crying out loud!"

"So? There's not a soul in sight," he mumbles back, his other hand fumbling with the strings of my top. "No one but you and me..." He smirks momentarily before opening his eyes and frowning. "What the Hell? Why did you have to pick such a complicated suit?"

I giggle as he continues to struggle with the strings. "Aww, do you need help?"

"No." Julius loses patience and elects to just tug it off over my head. I let out a little cry as it tangles a bit around my hair, but soon it's discarded to the other side of the pool deck. "That's better." Julius holds me in place as he starts to ravish the area with kisses.

I barely suppress an embarrassing sound as his tongue massages my skin. "Really though, someone might come over here, what if th-they see us?" My heart is pounding from both adrenaline and arousal, and I'm not sure which one's going to take control. 

"So?" Julius answers in his usual, cryptic way. "Don't worry, I'll be quick. Two months, remember?"

"One and a half!" I desperately hold onto his arms for support, squeezing my eyes shut as waves of embarrassment wash over me. As much as it pains me to admit it... I need him just as much. After everything that happened today-

My eyes pop back open as I remember something important. "I-I have something I need to tell you," I quickly say, squirming a bit as his hands continue to slide all over my body. "Earlier today- I- ahhh~" I'm quickly distracted by Julius as he slides a finger under my bikini bottoms, not even bothering to pull them off. I bury my face in his shoulder, face burning with shame. 

"Hmmm? What happened?"

I'm quickly forgetting.

"I- I-..." 

"Can it wait a few minutes?"

"Mhmm."

"Good."

He shifts slightly and tugs his trunks down before pushing me down onto him. For the next few minutes, the only noises coming from our little alcove are the sounds of splashing water and the moans of two people making love. It's wet, hot, and desperate, neither of us daring to cry out for fear of being caught. However, there's something really nice about being out under the starry night sky. 

Afterwards, I catch my breath, curled up against his chest as the warm water massages my tender skin. Julius hums a soft tune to himself, hand playing with my hair as he stares up at the constellations. "...so, what were you saying?"

I blink, my mind still recovering from the last couple minutes. "...oh!" I remember and sit up a bit to look at him. "I-..." My voice trails off again as I realize what I might be about to tell him. He looks at me, curious, wondering what I'm going to say. _How do I even phrase this?_ With one last deep breath, I start to speak. "...I went to see the doctor today. There's been a couple things wrong lately, and I finally had time to get them checked out."

Julius's face shows concern. "Well, what's been wrong? You didn't tell me about any of this."

"I didn't want to worry you... plus, it didn't really bother me," I explain. At this point, I'm so nervous that my hands are shaking as they rest on his bare chest. "I get those nosebleeds... and my appetite's been gone for months, but I haven't lost weight. I had nausea this morning and..." I gulp. "I didn't think anything of it until Owen told me, but..." My eyes squeeze shut as the words come out. "I haven't had my period in four months."

I don't dare open my eyes for the next few moments, just listening in fear as his breathing completely freezes. His grip on me tenses as well. 

_... oh god..._

"...y-you didn't know what that meant?" he finally says, his voice soft, and I can't pick up any emotion from it. Slowly, I shake my head, still avoiding his face. "No... my mother kind of failed me in that regard, haha-"

He finally breathes, a long breath coming out of his nose. It startles me enough to make my eyes open and look into his face.

_...Julius..._

He's smiling from ear to ear. I've never seen anyone look at someone else with so much adoration, much less at _me._

"...you're pregnant?"

It takes me a moment to snap out of it. "...That's what Owen thinks. I took a test, and I'll find out for sure tomorrow, but-"

"You're pregnant!!!" he cries out, lunging at me. There's nothing I can do to avoid the barrage of kisses coming my way as Julius squeezes me tight and continues to gush out any praise he can think of. Despite the urge to celebrate, I can't shake the fear still residing inside. "I can't believe it! We just talked about it last night, and now-" He suddenly stops as he realizes that I'm not joining in. His face pales. "...oh god... I-I'm sorry! That was selfish of me, are you alright?! Oh, you're probably freaking out about this, you're only twenty! And I got you pregnant?" Right now, he's the one who's freaking out, but he manages to calm down once I give him a little smile. "...how do you feel about this?" he asks gently. "I-I know this must be a lot... I mean, when we talked about it, we were talking about years in the future..."

I squeeze his arm a little, trying to comfort him. "Yeah... it's kind of overwhelming, I'm going to be honest," I say, leaning in to press my forehead into his chest. His hand immediately comes up to hold my head there. "But, at the same time... I feel really happy. It's hard to process everything right now, and we don't even know for sure, not until tomorrow... but I'm happy. I know that much." Spilling out my thoughts like this is oddly soothing, and I feel myself start to relax. "I'm just worried about how we're going to handle this... with me being a magic knight, and you being the wizard king."

"I understand. This is all happening a lot earlier than we meant it to. You still want to be a magic knight, right?" I nod quickly in response. "Good... you can still be a mother at the same time, if that's what you want. I'll take care of you, don't worry... both of you."

 _Both of you._ Julius's words make me cling to him more tightly. Part of me wants to burst into tears, from the combination of stress and joy I'm feeling right now. But I can't bring myself to do so. Slowly, I sit back to meet his lavender gaze once more, reaching up to touch his face. Despite the situation, he's still smiling, still filled with so much joy. I never thought I could give someone that kind of happiness, but here we are. "Don't get too excited... it might just be a scare, according to Owen. I'm not showing it yet, after all."

"I know, I know." Julius sighs happily. "But still... just thinking about it..." His hand slides down and gently caresses my stomach, his eyes starting to look a bit hazy with joy. "...what are we going to name it? I was thinking _Julius Jr._ if it's a boy or _Julia_ if it's a girl-"

" _Julius Jr.?! Julia?_ Julius, it's way too early to be thinking about that!"

"Ach, I can't help it! I've been thinking about it for a long time! Ughhh.... Can I use my magic to speed this up so I can meet them?"

"What?! No way! Your magic got us into this mess in the first place."

"Eh?"

"Owen said that Magic Birth Control is iffy at best, so we shouldn't have relied on it so heavily... maybe we should invest in some condoms next time."

"C-Con- CONdom? What's that?"

My answer is cut off as my communicator suddenly turns on, and a familiar voice barks through. " _Can you hear me? We need some help?"_

"That's Fuegoleon!" I quickly scramble out of the pool and grab the device. "What's wrong? Pirates?"

_"No, there's just a fire in the town. Seems to be an accident but we need some help putting it out and assessing the damage. Get over here!"_

"Yes sir!" I set it down and reach for my shirt just before Julius snatches it from my grasp. "Hey! I don't have time to mess around, you heard him, I'm gonna go-"

"No way, you're staying right here," Julius commands, pushing me back in the hot tub and climbing out. "I'll go in your place."

"Huh?!" I whip around and watch as he pulls his swim trunks back on. "What do you mean? You can't just show up and expect everything to go as planned!"

"Hehe, see, I won't be the one showing up... at least, they won't know as me." To my horror, Julius glows with his golden light, and suddenly morphs into a perfect copy of me. It's a bit... strange, being able to look into my own eyes. It's even stranger because "I'm" shirtless, only wearing the swim trunks. "Here, toss me your bikini top." I don't have much choice but to do what he says, a little unnerved by the sound of my own voice. He pauses before putting the top on, admiring "his" body for a few moments. "You know... I just got a really good idea." His eyes glint mischievously as he finally looks back at me. "But that'll wait." He leans down and kisses me on the forehead as I scowl up at him indignantly. "I'll be right back, then I'll take you to your room for a good night's sleep, and then we'll go see Owen together, okay?"

I sigh, a little weary of his antics, but it was cute all the same. "...alright. Hurry back!"

"I will! Sit tight!" I watch as he runs off in my body to probably cause more problems than solve them.

"Jesus Christ... if you weren't so handsome..." I groan, sinking back into the water and crossing my arms around my now-bare chest. It's a bit humiliating, being left alone half-naked in a pool while he gallivants around in my likeness. Even so, I'm glad to have a moment to reflect on the conversation we just had, and I can't help but beam at the thought of it. _He was happy... so happy..._ I close my eyes and lean back on the wall of the pool. _Maybe everything will be okay... as long as I can be with him..._

...

_"Atmospheric Binding Magic: Cavea Columna."_

_..._

_Huh?!_

My eyes snap open, my reaction a nanosecond too late. Something crushes in around me, forcing my limbs against my torso and sending a shot of pain through my body. I open my mouth to cry out, but the air has been forced from my lungs. All I can to is strain at the invisible bindings as I'm lifted from the water and turned around to face whoever my attacker is.

...or, _attackers_ , it seems. 

There's four of them. Three women and one man. All of their eyes are glowing, as are...

THEIR MARKS?!

My eyes widen at the sight of them. Knee, knee, stomach, hand... all four of them have a mark on their body, and it's glowing. The way they stand, the way their hands are positioned the same way, is uncannily similar to the way my "grandparents" behaved. But now, there's way more than two. _These people... they're Simulcians! And they're using their power!_

None of them look to be more than 25, but their mana is overwhelmingly... ancient. Both ancient and eerily familiar. They also all look a little like my dad... and a little like me...

"That was easier than we expected," they said in unison, just as my "grandparents" did. "You would be wise not to struggle. But just in case..." Their Marks start to pulsate. " _Tetrad_ _Amplification Magic: Pentad Formation."_

As soon as the words leave their mouths, I feel my Mark start to burn, pulsating in time with theirs. It hurts just a little, not nearly as much as when I did it with Julius but it's...uncomfortable. All at once, I feel their mana flowing through me, then them, then me, then them...

_NO! I won't let them do this! I'm not sure what's going on, but I won't take it!_

"AH!" With a cry, I squeeze my eyes shut and let my own power consolidate in the Mark, causing it to glow brighter. The bindings around me suddenly loosen and I slip to the ground, somehow managing to land on my feet. The four attackers are visibly surprised, stumbling back slightly from my outburst. _Yes! Now, I just have to do something to disrupt them, then run away..._ I lunge at them, scooping my Grimoire off the ground where it had fallen. " _Flame Magic: Solar Bolt!"_ I hold out my hand, aiming for the closest person to me, the girl who's mark is on her left knee. In one moment, the bolt shoots through her mark and sends her flying away from her brethren. 

The glow in her eyes fades, and they widen as if they were seeing the world for the first time. Then, they fill with fear.

"AAAAAAAAAAA"

The scream is just like the one my grandparents made when I separated them for just a moment, but this girl is completely cut off. The wind around her starts to pick up, tearing away at the ground below her as she continues to screech in pain. It's so disturbing that I falter, just for one moment.

_...what the hell?!_

By the time I snap out of it, it's too late. The remaining three have managed to stay together, their eyes and marks still glowing. The mana coming off of them has completely changed, too, to something different from when there were four of them.

" _Tria_ _d Amplification Magic: Tetrad Formation."_

Once again, my Mark starts to glow. My eyes widen, and I do the only thing I can think of. _"Solar Blitz!"_ The beams of light shoot out at random, hitting the bushes and chairs around me and lighting them on fire. A few of them should have hit the "Triad" or whatever straight on, but somehow their bodies phase right through the attacks. "Fine, have it your way."

Without warning, they shoot over at me, all three surrounding me at once. Before I can do anything, three pairs of hands have grabbed me all over.

_"Travel Magic: Dimensionem porta."_

My Grimoire slips out of my hand as the world falls away.

_No.... NO!_

It's too late.. the four of us are gone. All that's left around the hot tub is an unconscious girl, flipped over chairs, and delicate hibiscus flowers burning in the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time: chapter 45, the worst case scenario. Julius discovers that MC is missing and scrambles to come up with a plan.


	45. the worst case scenario

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. A little shorter than usual but don't worry... next chapter will make up for it.
> 
> 2\. Also this is personal but FUCK I'M ACTUALLY WRITING THE CLIMAX!!! I've been planning this for so long omg.

"... what on Earth are you wearing?"

Fuegoleon and the others stare at her as she finally runs up to the scene of the fire, a few minutes late behind everyone else. She let out a nervous laugh and raised her hand in a casual _hello._ "What? Everyone else is wearing their bathing suits, aren't they?"

Horatio eyes her outfit. "Yeah... but that's not what we last saw you in."

It was true, instead of her bikini bottoms, she was wearing a pair of red swim trunks that looked a little too large for her. The strings were tied super tight to keep them from slipping down. She glanced down at her getup, formulating a response, before composing herself again. "Ah, yes, this... I saw them laying around and they looked pretty cool. So I tried them on... er..." She was getting a lot of strange looks from the others. "I was going to give them back but then I got your call!"

Yami bursts out laughing. "You crazy little shit! You STOLE some poor bastard's swim trunks! You know what that means?" He points at her accusingly. "Someone's scrambling around naked while you're wearing their suit! That's fucking hilarious!"

A few of the others snicker at the image, while she crossed her arms indignantly. "Well... if they didn't want them to get stolen, they shouldn't have taken them off in the first place! This isn't a nudist colony, after all." _Hmm, that's not very fair. I just forced someone to give up their bikini top after all..._

"We don't have time for this discussion," Fuegoleon snaps, pointing at the fire raging in front of them. "Let's secure this area!"

Yami followed the others to work, but couldn't help but take one last glance at his swim trunk-clad friend. There was something off about her, but not in a bad way... _I think she's starting to act like Julius. That's something couples do, right?_ A few minutes later, most of the fire was put out and all the civilians were in a safe place. The damage didn't seem to be too bad, luckily, and wouldn't take too long to get fixed, especially with a brigade of magic knights in the area. Fuegoleon let out a sigh of relief as the worst of it was over. Smoke was still hazing up the air. "What a strange thing to happen... did you have anything flammable in there? Or a lamp that got knocked over?" he turned to interrogate the shop owner.

The poor old man shook his head. "No... this was a fabric shop! I don't allow any fire in there at all! That stuff burns like crazy."

That caught both Yami and Fuegoleon's attentions. "If you didn't have anything like that... then how did the fire start?" Yami said slowly.

"...could it have been arson?" Horatio asked. "Who would do such a thing? And why?"

"Why indeed..." Fuegoleon's eyes widened. "It might have been a distraction!"

"Distract _us?_ So... the pirates?!"

"No..." They all stopped when the feminine voice spoke up. They turned around to see her squatting near a burning patch of wood, frowning at it intensely as she thought about it. "This fire isn't the result of flame magic, but I can feel trace amounts of mana. It was lit using magic for sure... but..." Her eyes widened. "It's so familiar..."

Just as she said that, a burst of pain shot through her head. "Ah!" Letting out a cry, she fell backwards onto her butt, hard, clutching her forehead. "Hey! What the Hell's the matter?" Yami demanded, running to her side. There was a trace of fear in his voice at the sudden outcry. 

_Ouch... this pain... in that spot..._

She froze, understanding washing over her. 

_This wasn't a distraction for them... it was for... me._

Yami and the others watched, confused, as she sprang back to her feet as quickly as she fell, a panicked look in her eyes. Crying out her own name, she took off sprinting back towards the resort, as fast as she possibly could. "Hey! Where are you going?!" Fuegoleon yelled after her disapprovingly.

Yami's eyes widened a bit, picking up on something that the others couldn't. "I have a bad feeling about this..." Without another word, he took off after her.

"Yami! Don't you run off, too-" Fuegoleon stopped short as Horatio started to follow as well. "Come on! Ugh." Now he was starting to get worried that something was _really_ wrong, so he turned to the rest of the squads. "Take care of this, I'll be right back." Without another word, he followed the three of them, his heart pounding in anticipation.

They followed her all the way to the resort, and stopped as soon as they reached the hot tub. The plants around the area were on fire, chairs were knocked over, and scorchmarks littered the ground. A fight took place here, a desperate fight. But those flames... how could she have been the one to fight? She just lead them here, and was now standing still, her hands shaking as she took in the scene.

"...she's gone..."

"...what do you mean, _she's gone?"_ Horatio asked, a little afraid to hear the answer. "Who's _she-"_

Suddenly, mana spiked up behind them. The four of them whipped around to see a girl charging at them, her eyes bloodshot and wide, her mouth hanging open in a silent scream. She was like a ghost, dressed in what seemed to be pajamas, every part of her body straining to stay on her feet. She couldn't have been more than 25... Her hands were cupped, wind magic consolidating there. "AHHH!" She suddenly screamed, shooting a powerful bullet of air towards them.

Yami's hand was immediately on his katana, but he didn't need to act. "Time Binding Magic: Chrono Stasis!"

In one split second, both the attacker and her magic were confined in a globe of time, suspended in the air.

Horatio was stunned. "T-t-time magic?!" he stuttered. "I thought you had fire magic-"

"HAHHAH!" Yami suddenly burst into a fit of laughter, pointing at their friend. "You crazy old man!"

Fuegoleon's eyes widened. "Wait... you don't mean to tell me that..."

Before their eyes, the truth was revealed. Her body started to glow with a golden light, and when it faded, none other than the Wizard King Julius Novachrono stood before them. Horatio let out an un-manly squeak and fell to his knees. "W-w-w-izard King?!" 

"What on earth are you doing here?" Fuegoleon asked, just as surprised at the others. _Wait... if he's here, then where did she go?_

Yami continued to laugh for a moment. "Only you would run around acting like your girlfriend! But why are you holding her bikini when she should be wearing it!? You pervert!" His voice trailed off once he realized that Julius wasn't smiling. He was staring blankly at their prisoner, his eyes strained. One look at his Ki, and Yami knew he was on the very verge of panicking. There was only one reason why Julius would be close to that point. "...You're not saying that she got kidnapped, are you?"

Fuegoleon's mouth fell open a little as he started to understand what was going on. _No... she couldn't have been! Right under our noses, too..._

"I shouldn't have left her alone," Julius finally said, clenching his fist in frustration. He was scared, angry, guilty, and starting to panic. _Fuck... fuck! What if she actually gets hurt this time? Right after I said I'd take care of her, too, and the baby-_ His breath caught in his throat at the thought. 

"But, who would want to kidnap her?" Horatio finally spoke up. "The pirates? Terrorists? And also... _girlfriend?!!"_

"Shut up, bully boy," Yami snaps, walking next to Julius. "This fight just finished, they can't be far."

"If we act quickly, we can save her," Fuegoleon agreed.

"....right. And also, we have a big clue." Julius pointed at their prisoner, right at her knee which had a very familiar mark. "I'll fill you in on everything I know in a moment. But first-" He waved his hand in the air, unblocking the communication spell that had been pestering him for hours now. Before they knew it, Marx's annoyed visage was glaring through the screen. 

"JULIUS! WHAT ON EARTH? WHY ARE YOU NAKED?"

"I'm not! I'm wearing a bathing suit!" He defended meekly. "You need to get to Raque right now, there's an emergency."

"Emergency?! Julius-" Marx let out an exasperated sigh, but one look at Julius's face told him that this was serious. "...fine. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Good... and, er, can you bring me some clothes?"

* * *

"Kidnapped?"

Marx stood agape in the meeting room of the hotel. Julius mandated that only the five of them were to speak of this situation, and Fuegoleon sent the rest of the squad to bed. "Unfortunately, yes. But we don't know why. However-" Julius, now wearing clothes, pointed at the girl held captive in the time bubble. "This girl has a mark that should be familiar to you by now. I think she might have some answers."

Horatio sat silently in a chair, staring at the ground. Julius had explained everything to him, Marx, Fuegoleon, and Yami, and his brain was about to burst. This was way out of his depth, but he was glad to be involved. _We have to rescue her... before they do something to her..._

Fuegoleon readied his Grimoire as Julius released his binding spell. " _Leo Palma."_ As soon as the girl was freed, the two flaming claws grew around her, holding her in place. She started to panic and writhe around, her breaths loud and ragged. "She doesn't seem to be able to speak normally," Fuegoleon observed, a little off-put by her behavior. She was like... an animal, a feral cat that was feeling the touch of a human for the first time.

"Marx." Marx nodded and pulled out his Grimoire. "Memory Exchange Magic: _Memoire Absolute._ " 

Before their very eyes, the girl froze as her head started to glow with a white-blue light. Screens burst from the light, blurry images and shadows dancing across them. "There, I've accessed her memories," Marx said seriously. "You can ask her whatever you want and she has to tell the truth."

He looked up to see Julius's eyes twinkling, back to his old self for a moment. "Wow! Marx, you never fail to amaze me!"

"Julius!" 

"Oh, right, right." Julius turned back towards the girl, his face stony again. "Alright... where did you take her?"

The girl blinked, in a daze, before answering. "T-To the tower..."

"Tower? Where is that?"

"On the coast... of the Diamond Kingdom."

Good, that was better than nothing. Julius gave a nod to Fuegoleon, who started searching their map. "Why did you take her?"

The girl's lip quivered dangerously. Her state had improved after going under Marx's control, but she still seemed to be on the verge of breaking down. "We... we needed her."

"For what?"

"For our last septad." Julius's brow furrowed at the term. _Septad? What is that supposed to mean?_ She kept talking so he didn't have time to ask. "She's the final piece... the mark on her third eye is especially rare, it took us forever to get seven of them. Her birth was a miracle, a seal of approval on our dream from fate itself." Her fear was melting away at the thought, her eyes going out of focus.

"Are you Simulcian?"

"Yes."

"Why are you in the Diamond Kingdom?"

"They let us stay there after our home was destroyed."

"...What is the dream you mentioned?"

"The trauma of birth... and the pain of death... we will erase it from our memories." For the first time, she smiled. Her voice sounded as if she were reciting something. "My brother... he will erase bloodshed from this world."

"Brother?" Julius looked up at the magical screen as the image started to sharpen. A man stood there, smiling happily. And on his forehead...

"That's the same exact mark as Forehead Girl!" Yami said, pointing. "There's actually more of them?"

"And that old couple in the woods... they had marks on their hands," Fuegoleon added. "This girl has it on her knee... "

Julius raised his hand to silence their murmurs. "The two old people who are always holding hands..." he started to ask. "...who are they?"

The girl's expression returned to it's normal, blank state, as if she were getting tired. "They... they're my parents. They are our Dyad."

 _Dyad._ For some reason, the word sent shivers down Julius's spine. But something wasn't adding up. "Parents? Then, you're her aunt..." his eyes narrowed. "How is that possible? You're so young! What's the true power of that Dyad?"

The girl opened her mouth to answer, but then suddenly screamed in pain again. Marx frowned as he held up his hand. "Something's happening, I don't know what-" he said, straining a little as her memories flickered on his screens. "I can't seem to force any more information out because... this is all there is!" His eyes widened as he looked back at Julius. The girl was limp now, unconscious. "It's like this isn't a complete mind... it's just a quarter of a human mind."

"Lord Julius, look." Fuegoleon held up a map. "According to this map, there's an old tower on the coast of the Diamond Kingdom. It's not too far, either... but apparently it hasn't been used for decades."

"Supposedly," Julius added, taking the map. "You're right, it's not far... that's where she is."

"Are we just going to let creepy knee girl pass out like that?" Yami asked, crossing his arms. This information was making him even more worried. "What was that Dyad and Septad thing she talked about? And their creepy dream..."

"I don't know what they were talking about, but it sounded ominous," Horatio added. "Whatever this cult is up to... it can't be good."

Marx bit his lip and looked at Julius, who was deep in thought. "...Sir?"

Finally, Julius straightened up to his full height before turning to face them. To Marx's relief, his face held a look of strained determination, only a hint of fear in his lavender eyes. "This could very well be a worst case scenario..." he began. "Not only have these... cultists been planning some kind of major event, it sounds like it could spell bad news for people in our kingdom, and possibly others. That alone is enough reason for me to ask you four to come with me and stop them. But on top of that-" He clenched his fist. "They took my pregnant girlfriend."

Silence. Julius blinked, starting to worry if he had scared them off the mission. "Hmm? Is something-"

"preGNANT?!" Marx was the first to yell, the color draining from his face. "J-Julius, you and her d-didn't seriously-"

Despite the tense situation, Yami let out a guffaw. "Julius, you perverted old man!"

Horatio and Fuegoleon just stood there in silence, not sure if they should say anything.

"Hey! That's not the problem here. You can congratulate us later when everyone is safe," Julius cut in, sounding a little annoyed. "What I'm trying to say is, are you four with me or not?"

The four of them glanced around at each other's faces for a moment. Then, all four of them smiled.

"Of course we are," Yami answered. "William and I will miss her."

"She's not just our comrade," Fuegoleon added. "She's our dear friend."

"I never thought someone like her could get so important, but she proved me wrong," Horatio said, clenching his fist. "And she better _keep_ proving me wrong, or else I'll have to publicly humiliate her again."

"I'm not exactly sure what use I have here, but I'll come. Especially since it's a matter of national security, and... well..." Marx rolled his eyes. "You would become even harder to deal with if she died." Julius raised an eyebrow at the gruff wording. "Ach! Alright! I don't want her to get hurt, especially if she's carrying your child. I got used to having her around, anyway."

Julius couldn't help but laugh a little at Marx's antics. He still felt very scared about whatever was about to happen, but having them by his side would make it a little easier. _We have no idea what these people are capable of. I'm confident in my own abilities, but they could very well blindside us with something crazy. From what little I've been able to experience, it's likely to end up that way..._

_Even so..._

"Let's get moving. I don't want to waste even a second."

For the first time in his life, Julius knew in his heart that he was running out of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time... Chapter 46: the reunion. A very strange family reunion takes place before the end of the world as we know it.


	46. the reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. HEAVY HEAVY chapter. Infodump, if you will. Even MC is overwhelmed so feel free to ask questions
> 
> 2\. Also MWAH HA HA the evil plan is revealed!

_._

_.._

_..._

_It's cold. So cold. The only warmth comes from a body laying nearby._

_..._

_Julius?_

I open my eyes, finally awake. My memory of what just happened is hazy, but I remember that I'm probably still in danger. With a little groan, I sit up and look around. I'm in a room, seemingly made entirely of black marble, illuminated by an unearthly light that I can't seem to find the source of. I'm alone, despite what I dreamed. Whoever put me here had the decency to put a shirt on me, which I guess I'm thankful for. It doesn't change the fact that I'm freezing, though.

Mana is basically dripping from every surface of this place. The way it hangs in the air and permeates my very skin... no, my _soul..._ I can only describe it as _resonating._ The power here is immense, unlike anything I've ever experienced before. However, it feels strangely familiar.

"...That took much longer than expected."

I scream and jump to my feet at the sound of the voice. Well, _voices._ Those three people who attacked me are standing in the room all the sudden, staring at me with those blank, glowing eyes that creep me out. I don't even hesitate this time, balling up my fist and running at them. " _Solar-_ Huh?" I falter as my flames fail to appear. For some reason, my mana isn't flowing right, and I end up swinging at the first person with a bare fist. Moving in tandem, the trio phases _through me_ as I stumble through, failing to connect the punch. "What the heck?" I turn back around, on high alert, to glare at them, daring them to try anything. My eyes flicker to their glowing marks on various parts of their body. "Who are you people and what do you want?"

"It's rude to demand something after you've caused so much damage," they reply in unison. _That's right... there were four of them, but I knocked one of the girls out. Now there's just two girls and a guy..._ They don't advance towards me, thankfully. "We're glad to see you awake. Many do not wake for hours after their first trip through our dimensional gate."

"...Dimensional gate?" I repeat, remembering the strange thing they pulled me into. "Was that spatial magic?"

"Yes," they reply. "Our Dimensional Magic allows us to travel through the other world. We can't interact with anything, but we can use it to travel and to protect ourselves."

It's a lot to take in, but I have to admit that it's kind of amazing. However, I'm not here to get sidetracked. "Interesting, but you haven't answered my questions yet," I say cautiously, watching their every move. "Who are you guys, and why did you take me here? Where even is _here?"_

"... your second question will be answered by someone much more knowledgeable than ourselves," they finally answer. "Come, follow us."

I don't have much of a choice. Somehow, my mana is being suppressed so I can't use any spells to try and escape. I'm curious about them and their marks, and why they all seem to move as one unit. It's almost unnatural. Anyway, my best option at this point is to learn more and wait for an opening to get the Hell out of here. So, reluctantly, I follow them out of the room and up a winding set of stairs. Doorways flank each wall, but we pass each one by one by one. Some of them have a huge surge of mana behind them, resonating with that same power. My mind is drawn away as they begin to speak again.

"We used to have names, long ago," they finally said, answering my first question. "But that's unnecessary now. We were once three sisters and our oldest brother, but now just two sisters and our oldest brother, thanks to you. We are a triad, a being of three parts."

"Triad..." I repeat, feeling unnerved by their explanation. _So... they don't even think of themselves as three beings? Just one being? That's weird..._ "And your dimensional magic is the combination of all three of your attributes?"

"Exactly. We had atmospheric magic when our wind-user sister was synchronized."

 _Hmm._ "And when you were four, you refered to yourself as a Tetrad?"

"Yes. We attempted to form a Pentad with you in order to restrain you, but you resisted too much."

 _They're being awful upfront about everything,_ I think to myself as we continue to walk. "Geez, didn't you think to just ask me to come with you? You could have hurt me."

"We were ordered to use force."

"Ordered? By who?"

"By me."

I freeze as we turn the corner to enter a large entryway. We've climbed so high by now, many, many floors up from where we started. A man stands there, slightly silhouetted in that unearthly light. The first thing I notice, of course, is the fact that he has a Mark exactly like mine in the exact same space, right in the middle of his forehead above his eyebrows. It's not glowing, and his eyes are normal. They're the same color as mine, the same color as my father's.

"Welcome," he greets, raising a hand to wave weakly. "This meeting has been a long time coming."

I raise an eyebrow. "...who are you?"

"Oh, right, how rude of me. I feel like I've known you for over a year now, ever since your Mark appeared," he says. "My name is Mikal... and I am your uncle."

_Uncle._

That can't be right... he looks so young! Does that mean that those two old people are his parents? Does that mean he's the brother of my father?!

"..." I blink slowly, taking it all in. "...h-how?"

He chuckles and extends his arm. "Come on. I'll explain everything as we climb."

Everything about this situation is screaming _run._ But I know that's impossible. So, I take his arm and let him lead me up more stairs, spiraling up towards some unknown fate.

"I'm sure you have many questions," Mikal says, glancing down at me with a strange smile on his face. He does seem very happy to see me, for better or for worse. "We weren't sure how you would react to being summoned here, so I had to use force, I apologize. We have no intention of harming you any further."

"...cool." I'm completely at a loss for words. This is too much for my weary mind. I'm scared, confused, overwhelmed, cold... _I just want to go home... but... get it together! These people are supposedly my family. And they don't want to hurt me. I better ask some questions._ "So... how was my father involved in all of this?"

Mikal lets out a soft chuckle. "Very little, actually," he answers. "He left us as soon as he was born. There were a lot of abnormalities early on, after all, and it's really _my_ fault that it happened..." He picks up on my confused expression. "Oh, right! I should probably explain that... see, at least nowadays, Simulcians are not truly born until they're 18 years old. That's how long it takes for their magic to fully develop. Any earlier than that, and the synchronization process would destroy them."

"...destroy them?" I repeat, not exactly sure what that or _synchronization_ meant. _It makes sense though... my magic was weak until my mark appeared._

As if he can read my mind, Mikal continues. "The Mark appears at that age, signifying that our genetic seal is broken. It's unclear why Simulcians had it, but we do. Maybe it's to protect us from synchronizing too early." He lets out a sigh. "But... I'm getting off track. Your father... he spent the first 17 years of his "life" developing in one of these:" He pauses by a door and reaches out to open it. My eyes widen once I see what's inside.

_...What the actual Hell?!_

There's four people in there, all asleep (seemingly), suspended in tanks of some weird liquid that doesn't look like water. Each of them seems to be about 11 or 12 years old, and I feel uncomfortable looking at them. They're like... some sort of experiment, something not quite human. "...what on earth are you doing to those kids?!" I exclaim, my arm slipping from his as I take a step back.

"No, no, we aren't hurting them! This is for their own safety!" Mikal assures me, his voice a bit frenetic. "If we let them out, they might... run away and get hurt, or cause irreparable damage. We're supposed to be in hiding, after all!"

"In hiding?" I repeat, still extremely disturbed by the sight. "So... you keep kids in these tanks until they're 18?! Where are their parents, anyway?"

"Oh, their parents are here!" Mikal tells me happily. "These four... are my little brothers and sisters after all."

"...what?" My voice weakens for a moment. "That means... that old couple, my grandparents, are their parents? How is that possible? They're so old!"

Mikal laughs. "Don't be rude! We're all old here. And no, you're right, my parents are incapable of having children anymore. That's why I created a way to artificially grow their cells into their new sons and daughters. I've been doing it this way since..." He cocks his head, thinking. "Well, for the past century, anyway."

 _Century?_ I remember what Julius and I theorized, that the Simulcians had some sort of extended life compared to normal humans. "You went into hiding a century ago... what's up with that, anyway!? Why am I even here-"

"Shh, one question at a time! I didn't finish talking about your father," Mikal scolds lightly, shaking his finger at me. _Grr! Just get to the point so I can leave!_ "Come on... we'll leave these four to sleep." I spare one last glance at the floating bodies before following Mikal back out into the stairwell.

"Your father was born one year earlier than expected. It was due to a tank malfunction. He had no idea what was going on, and it took us forever to catch him! He ran around naked for hours. But eventually, we did what we do with all of our births. We synchronized him with the Tetrad- you met them today- and they told him everything he needed to know. We didn't need any more people with marks on their hands, so I was deciding what to do with him when he managed to break the link and escape. We chased him for weeks! All throughout the Diamond Kingdom. But once he got over the border, we couldn't chase him any further." Mikal let out a heavy sigh.

"...how long ago was that."

"Hmm... about 70 years ago?"

"70 years?!" My jaw drops. "But... that can't be right! My father said he was only 52, and he looked like he was in his 30s!"

"Oh? He lied, then," Mikal replies casually. "I'm sure he wanted to conceal his past, for your safety at least."

"...how is that possible, though?" I ask. "You, my father, even my grandparents, you all look younger than you actually are."

"Ah, well, that's because we're Simulcian." Mikal smiles to himself as we ascend higher and higher into the tower. "I guess I'll start at the beginning..."

"Centuries ago, a civilization took hold on an island in the middle of the sea. They were a happy, peaceful people who just wanted to live their lives while basking in their magic. None of them were particularly strong, unable to hold large amounts of mana. Things remained that way until they developed a power source... a spell that all Simulcians could draw power from."

"That spell... did it give magical properties to an object? Or... what is it that I draw my power from?" I ask, waiting with baited breath for the answer. 

Mikal's smile widened slightly. "It's not an object... it's a person."

_...a person..._

"The source of Simulcian power has always been our Dyad."

_Dyad._

The word sends a shiver down my spine. I feel like I've heard it before, or at least something about it is familiar...

"What exactly is the Dyad?"

"Don't you already know?" Mikal pauses and looks down at me pointedly. "You're one of the few people blessed with a Dyad spell."

 _The Dyad spell? Is that my mystery spell? The one that hurts so much?_ "...right..." I frown a bit, looking at the ground. This was a lot of information to take in at once, but I needed to do my best here. "What does it do?"

"That's right, you've never been quite successful, haven't you?" Mikal commented a bit snidely. "Although, that might not be entirely your fault. Come on, I don't want to waste time."

Before I have the chance to ask what he's so impatient about, he keeps walking and continues his story. "Our bodies are made to channel the mana of nature and of our souls. That ability stems from the human mind. They say there are three parts of our mind: the part that seeks pleasure, the part that seeks perfection, and the barrier between the two... your Ego. The Dyad spell is a contact between two people. In Simulcian culture, there is just one Dyad every 200 years or so, because the spell halts their aging entirely. Once the spell is activated, the Ego is destroyed, allowing a great battle to take place... the strength of your mana compared to that of your partner determines the outcome. If balanced, Perfection is victorious and your mana will boost enormously. In essence... the two of you cease to exist and a new being is born, one of pure perfection and power."

There's definitely smoke coming out of my ears right now. I don't understand a single thing he's saying, expect that last part. _...so, part of our mind is destroyed, and we become one mind? Is that what Julius and I were about to do?_

"On the other hand, if there is no balance between the two, perfection is destroyed, and the weaker one will be killed by the soul of the stronger one. You really dodged a bullet there, I must say."

I don't really know what to ask next, my mind is still running in circles trying to comprehend what the Hell he just said. It's all too complicated for my own good, but I understand the core message: _The Dyad is two people turned into one. Balanced Mana leads to perfection and power, while Unbalanced Mana leads to death. So... Julius is so much more powerful than me, that the force of his soul would have killed me?_

_Is that even something I have the power to fix?_

"But anyway, all Simulcians could resonate with the Dyad's power. After developing their Mark, they could directly draw from their power. Our lives were extended, and the aging process slowed to a stop. At the end of the previous Dyad's time, my father was the one to manifest the Dyad spell. The one with the spell decides who their partner will be, and of course he chose my mother."

"So... I met that Dyad... the two of them-"

Mikal cringes. "Ah, ah, they get mad if you refer to them as two people. They truly are one being, now," he corrects me. We stop, and I realize that we're standing in front of a door. We've reached the top of the tower. "I said they were a being of perfection... not reason. The problem with the Dyad is that they're basically good for nothing other than fighting. But anyway-" He kicks open the door casually.

"Say hello to your grandparents!"

...and there they are. My fight-or-flight instinct is going crazy the moment the two- er, one? The moment they turn to look at me with glowing eyes. Their hands are still tightly clasped together. "...hi?"

"Greetings, granddaughter," they say in unison, sending a shiver down my spine. I take a moment to look around the room. Indeed, this is the very top of the tower. Strange symbols adorn each of the marble walls, and four windows look out in each direction. The tower is on the coast, the dark sea roaring nearby. It's still nighttime. "I'm glad you are here."

I look back over at them, then at Mikal. "Wait, so... the volcanic eruption that supposedly wiped out the Simulcians... what's the story with that?"

Mikal sunk down into a chair, letting out another breathy sigh. "You see... there was no eruption. The island was still destroyed, though... ah-" He laughs nervously. "That's the thing... That may have been my fault?"

" _...your_ fault?" I repeat. So far, Mikal has been pretty genial, and it's hard to believe that he could have wiped out a civilization. "...You mean, you killed them all?"

"Well, _I_ didn't," he corrects. "I... convince my parents to do it with their Natural Magic. The combination of water and earth, using the water inside every living thing and the very environment to their own ends... it was pretty easy to sink that sucker into the ground with everyone on it. BUT! I had a good reason, hear me out?"

I don't want to hear him out. Now that I know that this guy has killed so many people, I'm convinced that he's insane, something I suspected from first laying eyes on him. _I need to get out of here, NOW!_ Without thinking about it, I turn and take off towards the door. However, I only get one step forward before something _extremely_ painful rips through my body. With a cry, I fall to the floor, my vision going white. _What the Fuck was that?!_ I glance up to see Mikal on his feet again, Grimoire out. "Now, now, just sit there and listen to me, niece," he scolds calmly. "Let me tell you about my dream..."

I recoil as he suddenly crouches next to me, way too close to comfort. I still can't use my mana, for some reason, and I'm scared to move. Whatever he did to me... I don't want to feel it again.

"I told you that the Simulcians were a peaceful people, but that was just among themselves... they ruthlessly killed any visitors to their island, all except those who traded with us from the Diamond Kingdom. It was a disgusting sight... and our beaches ran red with blood." My eyes widen at the image, not sure what to think yet. "I didn't want that to be our identity, but soon our leaders started talking about advancing onto other islands and taking them for ourselves. Around that time, I was researching the relationship between my parents, and was even able to recreate it with my four older siblings... it wasn't nearly as strong, but a tetrad was still much more powerful than one person. I told my people that we didn't have to fight... if we all joined together in terads, triads, pentads, etc, we could live in harmony without a need for food, water, anything. But... they rejected me."

His eyes suddenly darkened. "This world is full of pain. From the moment we're ripped from our mother's wombs until the day we're ripped from this world, we suffer and bleed. I never want to see blood again."

Slowly, he stands up again, towering over me with a terrifying look in his eyes.

"Humans are the worst culprits of this... we Simulcians were supposed to be above that. So I killed those tainted by bloodlust, and escaped with my parents and the tetrad to the mainland. We put aside our pride and accepted the help of the Diamond Kingdom, if only to gather our resources. I sacrificed our dignity and lent my parents to fight for their army in exchange for this tower. But now... the final piece is here."

He smiles.

"You... you're the key to it all. You weren't supposed to even be born. But you were... fate is giving us the go ahead."

_...I wasn't supposed to be born? Does that have something to do with my mother being infertile? His story... he sounds like a lunatic! Sure, it's bad for people to terrorize and colonize others, but something tells me that his solution is worse... And all this talk about fate! What does he plan to do!?_

Mikal gives me the answer.

"A septad is the second most powerful link between people. The mark can appear in one of seven places. On each hand, on each knee, on the stomach, on the heart, and... on the head." He pointed between the two of us. "Take one of each and synchronize them, and a septad is formed. Then take seven of _those_ and channel their power through the Dyad... our power will have no range. No one will be able to escape the fate I have planned for them."

_...what the fuck... WHAT?!_

"Wait a minute! What fate?!" I finally speak up, my voice wavering with fear. _This guys's insane! He really is! Fuck! What the Hell is about to happen here?!_ "Just because the Simulcians had problems, doesn't meant that you can take it out on everyone else!"

"Oh, but I can," Mikal responds happily. "And I have to... if even one person is alone, they will lash out and hurt the others. Synchronization is a wonderful state of being... once inside, you'll never need to think again. You'll never think of pain, or blood, or feel the need to hurt anyone... well, unless _I_ tell them they should." He glances over at his parents, standing silently. "Every single person in this world will one day fall under my power. Only then will there be peace."

"...no way!" I finally get the strength to yell. "You just want to control everyone, right?! Like you controlled them-" I point at my grandparents.

Mikal shrugs. "Who better to tell everyone what to do than me? Anyway, that's why we needed you." He cracks his knuckles menacingly. "For years, all we needed was one more person with a mark on their head. I couldn't do it myself, since I need to take care of this operation, but now that you're here..." He frowns. "But there's a problem. You're tainted."

I blink, dread settling in. _Wait... they want_ me _to be the final part of the Septad?!? That sounds terrifying!!!_ "What do you mean, tain- AH!"

Suddenly, the marble underneath me splits apart, wrapping around my wrists and pinning me to the ground. My ankles are immobilized in a similar fashion. Mikal crouches back down and smiles down at me as I scream and curse, trying to free myself with no avail. "This shouldn't take long... but you tried to activate a Dyad," he tells me. "Therefore... there's a piece of someone else's soul within you. Don't worry." His hand is suddenly reaching for my head. "I will exorcise it."

My eyes blow open wide as he touches my forehead, and a stinging pain shoots through me. _Another soul? Inside me? Wait!_ "You haven't explained anything to me yet!" I yell. "At least, not so I could understand! What do you mean, exorcise-"

I cut myself off with a scream as everything suddenly fades away, and Mikal takes control of my mind.

* * *

_"There's a man here... just as I thought."_

_Mikal stood in the middle of the room, staring at the back of the person's head. He was faint, but definitely there. "He shouldn't put up much of a fight... he's just a shard, after all." Mikal took a few steps forward, catching the attention of the man. He turned around, his eyes narrowing as he spotted Mikal._

_"...hello."_

_Mikal froze. "He spoke?" He was stronger than Mikal thought, it seemed... but it didn't matter. If she was to be able to synchronize with the Septad, this man had to go._

_It wasn't clear why she synchronized with this man, or how she knew how to do it. He was strange though... he radiated a constant aura of mana, even though he looked like any normal human. He was tall, lean, long-limbed... and very, very handsome. Even Mikal could see that. "I hate to say goodbye so soon, but you don't belong here," Mikal told him as he reached him and held up a hand. "Goodbye."_

_One blast of mana should have done it, but something strange happened. The attack came radiating right back at Mikal, barely missing him but blowing him back. "Ah!" Mikal lost his balance and fell over. "What the-" He blinked, and this mystery man was towering over him ominously, staring down at him with a frighteningly-neutral expression. The mana coming off of him now was incredible, more than anything Mikal had ever felt in his life. A spike of fear struck through his heart, and he weakly scooted back. "Y-you..." he stuttered. "Who the Hell are you!?"_

_This man..._

_Why was he the one she chose?!_

* * *

Mikal gasps and scoots away from my body in a hurry. The world fades back into existance as I draw in panicked breath after breath. _What the Hell is he doing?! What even is Mikal's magic?_

"What's the matter?" the Dyad demands, stepping towards their son.

Mikal catches his breath before shaking his head. "The soul in there... even though it's just a shard, it's much too much for me to handle on my own," he says softly. "He could speak, and he deflected my attack..."

I'm only vaguely listening at this point, feeling dizzy and sick from the invasion of my mind. 

"Who is he?"

"...He said his name was Julius Novachrono... and he's the Wizard King of the Clover Kingdom."

My Grandparents raise their eyebrows in the same exact manner. "The most powerful mage in the country..." they say slowly. "Let us exorcise him, in that case-"

Mikal suddenly sat up straight, picking up on a familiar presence. _No... not at a time like this!_ "No, you two stay up here," Mikal tells them, brushing himself off and standing up. "I'll take her to the Hexad, they should be able to do it. We need to act quickly."

He reaches down and starts dragging me out of the room by the arm.

"...we have some unexpected guests." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time!!! Chapter 47: the seven septads. MC ceases to exist and all Hell breaks loose. Can Julius beat Mikal? And- wait! Fuegoleon and the others are attacking Julius?!


	47. the seventh septad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternatively: "JULIUS BOUT TO THROW HAAAANDS"

"I'm sorry. We were told to have you wait here, so we can't let you by."

Julius exchanged a glance with the others before looking back at the strange trio in front of them. Two women and one man. _Their eyes are glowing... I wonder if they're like that old couple, linked in some way?_ He didn't really have the time or need to pursue the matter much farther. "Oh? Who told you that? Do you know who I am?"

"Our brother. And no." 

Marx gaped at their insolence. "Hey! This is Julius Novachrono, the Wizard King of the Clover Kingdom! Show some respect!"

"King?" The three of them snapped their gazes back onto Julius. "In that case, we apologize for our rudeness. But we were told to not let anyone up into the other levels. We take it that you're here for the one we took?"

"Exactly." Yami suddenly stepped forward, losing patience. "Let us in, or we'll cut our way in!"

"We just want our comrade back, then we'll leave," Horatio told them, hand already on his Grimoire.

 _You three are too eager to fight,_ Fuegoleon thought to himself, glancing at Julius. He still looked troubled.

"Your friend cannot be returned," the trio, or _triad_ finally responded. "She belongs with her family. But don't worry..." They smiled and raised their arms becomingly all at once. "Your souls will be reunited soon enough."

"O-Our _souls?!"_ Fuegoleon repeated, incredulous.

Julius let out a sigh, seemingly unbothered by the declaration. _He's here for one reason, and that's to get his lover and child back,_ Fuegoleon thought to himself. _It doesn't matter what these Simulcians' goal is, we have our own goal._ "Well... in that case, we'll have to walk over you." He raised his hand, ready to get this over with. " _Chrono Stasis!"_

The triad didn't even move as the bubble formed around them. Julius smiled to himself. "See? Easy!"

Well, that lasted for maybe two seconds. They were all shocked to see the Triad start to LOOK AROUND while they were supposedly frozen in time. "Curious." A moment later, they just fucking WALKED out of the prison before turning back to the shocked group. "Like we said... you will not pass."

Julius blinked, shocked. This was a new situation for sure. "...how did they do that?" Yami asked, his hand tight on his Katana. "Some sort of spatial magic?"

"Perhaps..." Julius let out a sigh, and, to everyone's surprise, smiled. "You four stand back," he told them. "This looks like it'll be fun!"

It was a spectacle. As he watched, it occurred to Marx that he had never actually seen Julius seriously fight someone before. He was used to babysitting the man and thought of him as an overgrown child most of the time, but now... he could plainly see why Julius was the Wizard King.

At first, Julius just tried to zip past them and make for the stairway. However, every time he did so, he passed through some dark area and ended up right back where he started from. _I see... so I have to take them out first before we can go on,_ he thought to himself. _They have total control over my movements, too. This is some awesome spatial magic!_ He turned in the air and shot towards them instead. He flung his arm and sent a volley of attacks towards them. If even one hit, they would be trapped, yet every single one phased right through them as they ran around. _Not only do they have control over my movements, but this magic allows for them to phase out of existence itself... that's incredible!_ Julius knew this wasn't the time to get excited about magic, but he couldn't help himself as he sent blast after blast after the triad.

"...whoa..." Horatio's eyes were wide as he watched the battle. Julius was moving so fast, it looked as though he were teleporting through the air. "He's amazing..."

"You should have expected that," Yami told him, smirking to himself. "The Wizard King is the strongest mage in the kingdom. Anyone who wants to calls themselves king will have to surpass _that._ "

Fuegoleon clenched his fist a little at the thought. _He really is amazing... here we are, in this strange place, with strange enemies, and yet he seems to be having fun. One day, I'd like to be that confident in my abilities._

"Give up, Wizard King," the triad said, skidding to a stop on the smooth marble floor. "There's nothing you can do to stop what's been set in motion. And besides, you'll never hit us."

"That sounds like a challenge," Julius replied, taking the moment to land and catch his breath. _If I'm not smart about this, they'll keep evading me until I get tired. Of course, that'll be a long time, but we don't have time to waste. Well, I do, hehe._ He straightened up and brushed himself off. "Your magic is amazing," he complimented, glancing back at the others. _That's right... I'm not alone in this._ All of them had unique forms of magic, magic that could be used in unique ways. Horatio and Yami, in particular... "How exactly does it work? I've never met someone that I just couldn't hit."

The triad stood there silently for a moment before sighing in unison. It was a creepy sight to see. "...Our magic is dimensional magic," they finally answered. "The combination of three different types of spatial magic. All of our natural siblings have spatial magic, except for our little sister. The one you took from us."

 _That's right... she had wind magic,_ Julius remembered. "That's awesome! Dimensional magic, so you can move between dimensions?"

"Not just dimensions," they corrected. "We can momentarily phase between this world and another, dark world."

 _Another, dark world?_ Yami's eyes narrowed at the mention. _Dark..._

"Bully boy, I think I just got an idea."

Julius slowly walked around, his eyes still trained on the triad and their eyes trained on him. "This state you're in... you share your magic between the three of you?"

"Not just magic... we have just one mind." Julius's brow furrowed at the description. _One mind... that's like when I..._ "We'll never be as perfect as our parents, but that's okay. Soon, we won't have to worry about anything."

"Eh, what do you mean by that? That sounds kind of ominous!" Julius asked, laughing nervously. "I hope you guys don't have some sort of evil plan or anything!"

Horatio pulled out his Grimoire. _This Triad can phase right through the Wizard King's attacks, but they don't phase through the floor or anything. That means that they still have to obey the physical laws of our world..._

"The evil stems from the world. We just wish to correct it," the triad finally replied, still circling Julius. "Any creature with free will ultimately destroys itself. We will destroy free will and place our hope in our collective mind."

Julius raised an eyebrow. "Ah... so it _is_ an evil plan! In that case..." He made eye contact with Yami. The Traid had paced so far that their backs were to the onlookers. "I guess we have no choice but to stop you."

" _Gravity Magic: Center Shift!"_

Before they can react, the Triad went flying forward towards Julius. "What-" Julius smirked and stepped to the side as they shot by. A moment later, they slammed into the source of their gravity, the opposite wall. "What is this? Impossible! No attack can hit us!"

"Oh yeah?" Horatio smirked and clenched his fist. "Well, it seems like this 'dark world' of yours or whatever doesn't protect you from the laws of gravity! Yami!"

"Don't order me around, Bully Boy," Yami snapped, drawing his Katana as dark matter floated around the blade. " _Dark Magic: Dark Cloaked Black Blade!"_

He sliced through the air, sending a slash of black magic sailing towards the immobilized trio. _This is it... I had my suspicions about Yami's magic, but now we'll see for sure,_ Julius thought to himself, spinning around to watch the attack make contact. _Can Dark Magic interfere with the power of another world?_

The Triad screamed something out in unison, maybe a plea for mercy, but it was too late, the Dark Magic attack did, indeed, connect, with so much force that it cracked the black marble behind them. All three of them screamed from the impact, their eyes and marks suddenly spiking up with light and mana. "Noo! NOOO!"

With one last, explosive spark, the three of them were ripped from their link and went flying in three different directions. Fuegoleon, who was getting tired of just standing around, opened his Grimoire and raced towards the one closest to him. " _Leo Palma!"_

Horatio ran forward as well. " _Heavy Prison!"_

_"Chrono Stasis!"_

Within moments, all three of the attackers, now twitching and stuttering to themselves with burnt-out expressions on their faces, were bound by some type of magic. Now it was Marx's time to shine. " _Memoire Absolute!"_ he cast the spell on the male first, hardly giving him any time to adjust before starting his interrogation. "Where is she?"

"... high in the tower... one of the top floors..."

"Good!" Marx released the spell and turned towards the others. "We don't have a second to lose... you're right, Julius, they definitely have some sort of evil plan."

"Go on ahead, sir," Fuegoleon told Julius. "We'll just slow you down."

"Ah, ah, no one's going anywhere."

They all spun around to see a man standing on the top of the stairway. Julius recognized him from the memories of the wind-magic user they captured, who referred to him as her brother. He had a mark on his forehead, just as they saw before. "I'd like to see you stop us," Julius called back, turning to walk towards the bottom of the steps. "Are you the leader here? You don't seem to be linked to anyone."

"Yes... my name is Mikal." The man crossed his arms as he looked down at them. "Welcome, Julius Novachrono. I'm glad you could be here to witness the end of life as we know it."

Julius arched a brow. "Hmm? Have we met?"

"Not technically," Mikal replied. "We have a mutual friend, though, it seems."

The others exchanged a look behind Julius's back. The Wizard King continued to glare up at this mysterious man. "Take us to her now... if you do, I won't kill anyone."

"Ooh! A threat?!" Mikal let out a hearty laugh. "Wizard King! You're very intimidating. I would take you to her, but I'm afraid it's too late."

Julius's eyes widened and Mikal grinned.

"She's already ceased to exist... and any second now...

so will you."

* * *

_Four Minutes Beforehand_

The feeling of marble dragging along my skin is what eventually jolts me back to consciousness. "Ah! Where the Hell are we going now?!" I demand, trying to kick away from Mikal. His grip is like iron and I'm weakened, so there's not much I can do but struggle. "Let me go! How dare you go into my mind like that!" I'm still not sure what he meant by there being a second soul in my body, but something in me really doesn't want him to mess with it. 

"Stop squirming. We're almost there," Mikal snaps, tugging me down the stairs. I grit my teeth and clench my fist, punching him in the arm and attempting to summon flames. "Stop! You can't use magic right now," he tells me as we walk towards a door. I can feel mana resonating behind it. "I rearranged your body a little while you were asleep... that's my magic, you see. Complete control over one human body."

My eyes widen a bit at the information. Was that how he made me feel pain earlier?! That's terrible! What kind of sick magic is that? So far, most of the Simulcians have had really strange magic. I glance at his grimoire in his hand, the one with the blank cover, and wonder what kind of strange spells he has inside. 

Mikal kicks the door open and finally drops me on the floor once we're inside. I sit up and feel my blood freeze in my veins. There are six women standing there, Marks dotting several different spots of their body. All of the positions, except on their forehead. All of their eyes are glowing, and they smile as they see me. It's creepy... this must be the Hexad Mikal mentioned earlier. And once one more person is added...

"It seems like you have the ability to resist forced synchronization," Mikal states, grabbing my arms again. He's pelting my body with mana now, weakening my muscles and making any resistance useless. _Fuck... why does HE have to have that power?_ "Maybe that's because of your mother, or maybe even your father! But it doesn't matter." 

The next thing I know, he throws me into an empty tank, just like the ones those kids were being kept in. I sit up and watch as he and the six women surround me, keeping me from escaping the tank. I back up and hit the opposite glass wall to escape their grasp.

"This tank will be your prison for the time being." Mikal smiles. His expression is friendly, but there's a horrible, visceral evil beneath his skin. "If you won't synchronize on your own... then we'll drown you. Don't worry, you'll only be dead for a minute or so. The mana from the septad you form will keep you alive."

 _.... dead? Drown?!_ "Wait! You can't kill me!" I try and push my way out, but Mikal is already closing the hatch. With a grunt, I strain and try to open it, but he's stronger, slowly winning. My heart is pounding, I don't want to die! Even if just for a minute! The idea is terrifying, sending panic through my veins. And besides...

"You can't! Mikal!" I scream. "I-I'm pregnant!"

Mikal falters for one second, his eyes widening as he stares at me. After a moment of silence, his mouth curls into a smirk.

"...nice try."

And with that, he wins the battle of strength and slams the door closed. I scream and pound on the glass as water suddenly starts seeping in through a pipe on the floor, rising quickly up my legs and torso. "MIKAL! You're INSANE!" I cry out, every cell in my body working towards just one goal: survive. "You have no idea what you're doing!!"

He doesn't answer me, just waves his hand in a casual _goodbye_ as the water rises over my head.

I hold on for as long as I can. The water is heavy, so heavy, crushing my throat as my lungs beg and plea for air. _I can't, I can't breathe, if I hold it just a bit longer, maybe I can break through maybe-_

Water's everywhere. My mouth, eyes, ears, lungs, stomach. It hurts, it hurts so bad.

_I need to live... the baby..._

Everything starts to go dark.

The pain fades away, just a distant memory. I'm falling down somewhere, somewhere cold. But the further I go, the warmer it gets.

I fall until I land in someone's arms.

_"Don't worry... I won't let them touch you."_

_My eyes finally open again. I can only make out one face, glowing softly in the darkness._

"... _Julius?"_

_Footsteps approach us._

"Get out."

_"No... she's our little niece, get your hands off of her."_

"Never."

 _Our grip on each other tightens as six pairs of hands grab him, blasting him with some unearthly power that makes my stomach turn. "Julius... I don't want to be with them! Save me! Please!"_ _I cry out, burying my face into his chest as hands start to grab me, too. They're trying to tear me away from him, the source of everything good and warm. The father of my child, the love of my life-_

 _"_...I..."

_He doesn't get to answer, as I'm wrenched out of his arms. I scream and reach out as he stumbles away, his eyes still trained on me. He holds out his hand and calls my name, but it's too late. His body cracks in half before dissolving into a million little pieces._

_"JULIUS!"_

_He's gone, in just one instant the part of him that lived in me was destroyed. The warmth is extinguished, all that's left is the feeling of cold hands all over my body. I can feel them, all six of them, probing my mind for a way in, widening the cracks in my ego to let the beasts of pleasure and perfection battle it out._ NO... NO... don't touch me-

_Forget about him._

_Forget about everything._

_I can feel their bodies sinking into mine. There's something... comforting about it._

_We're your family._

_Stay with us..._

_..._

Okay.

_I close my eyes as my body cracks in two. In that moment, I cease to exist._

* * *

An unearthly sound fills the chamber, causing everyone to look up at the tower above them. "What the Hell is that?!" Yami yells, brandishing his sword. Mana was rippling through the tower, and it was hard to believe that the foundation was holding up.

"Ah... there we go!" Mikal cries out happily, raising his arms. "The end is here! You five, I hope you enjoyed your lives." He points down at the men below him. "Get ready to start a new life... but this time, you're going to be a _lot_ closer!"

"What the Hell are you talking about?" Marx yells, fear straining his voice. Whatever was happening, it wasn't good. "Julius?"

"Mikal, what is that?" Julius demands, pointing upstairs. _I can feel seven huge concentrations of mana up there... and at the very top, something incredibly powerful. This whole tower is resonating... with-_

Suddenly, a searing pain shoots through his head. Julius stumbled back, his vision going white. _This feels just like that spell!_ He gripped the spot, glancing around at the others. Yami was on his knees, clutching his chest, while Horatio was doubled over with pain in his stomach. Fuegoleon had fallen to the ground, grasping his knee. "Julius! What's going on?!" Marx collapsed against the larger man, clutching his pulsing hand against his chest. "I-It's horrible! Make it stop!!"

Julius did his best to stay upright and support Marx before looking up at Mikal again. "What are you doing to us? Mikal, answer me!"

Mikal just laughed and laughed, his eyes widening as the power spread. "Just accept it, Julius! This is the end! You'll never be able to defeat the power of seven septads!"

_Septads?! Our hostage said that they needed to complete one more... is that why they kidnapped-_

Suddenly, the pain stopped, and Julius blinked his eyes to clear his vision. "...That's it?" The power was still resonating through him, and he could see that something on his forehead was glowing. "...Guys, are you-" He stopped short when he saw a disturbing sight in front of him. Yami, Marx, Horatio, and Fuegoleon were standing together, staring blankly at him with glowing eyes. Yami had a mark on his chest, Fuegoleon on his knee, Marx on his hand, and Horatio on his stomach. "...you... what did you do to them?!" Julius demanded, spinning around to look back up at Mikal.

"Oh? It didn't work on you?" Mikal asked, looking a bit disappointed. "Ah, that's right... you're already linked to someone, aren't you? Even though I removed the shard of your soul from my niece, a piece of her is still inside you." Julius frowned at the description, not sure what the man was talking about. "Anyway... this is where it ends. You see, when synchronized, a tetrad like your friends there... they're extremely receptive to suggestions. They need someone to give them orders. For example-" He turned towards the four and pointed at them. "You! Tetrad! Kill this guy for me!" Mikal pointed at Julius.

Julius watched in horror as the four of them snapped their gazes onto him, giving a synchronized nod. "Hey! You can't just make them attack me!"

Mikal let out a bark of laughter. "Well, see how that plays out for ya. Have fun!" The man turned and started to run up the stairs. Julius was about to follow when he felt mana spike up behind him. "Shit!" He was forced to dodge a huge magical blast from the hands of his four comrades, skidding to a stop behind them.

"...I'm sorry. We can't let you pass," they said in unison.

Julius grit his teeth, seeing that they were blocking the exit once again. This time, he was alone. _Shit... the power of this tower is spreading, I can feel it. Is this what Mikal was trying to do? Force everyone to synchronize with each other so he can control them?_ He easily sidestepped another blast. _This new tetrad, their combined magic hasn't fully manifested yet, maybe I can-_

" _Hellfire Binding Magic-"_ the Tetrad started to say as soon as Julius started to think that. " _Black Plague!"_

Julius let out a heavy sigh. "Hellfire Magic? Black Plague?! What in the word did I do to deserve this!?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time! Chapter 48: the uncle. Many obstacles stand between Julius and MC. Will he be able to free her from the grasp of the Simulcians and save the Kingdom from Mikal's plans?
> 
> Credit to an anonymous tumblr follower for the idea of Hellfire Magic! That shit's gonna be crazy hehe.


	48. the uncle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Alternatively: "Julius has a BAD time TWICE."
> 
> 2\. MIKAL GO TO HELL LMAoOOO

_"Hellfire Binding Magic: Black Plague!"_

Instantly, the entire area's mana started to be concentrated into the spot in front of the tetrad. Great, so they could use Mana zone, too? Julius watched in horror as a giant pillar of black fire rose from the ground, spinning in place and heating up the entire area. Julius felt his feet start to slide on the ground towards the mass. _It's sucking me in! This power... it's a combination of all of their magic! Horatio's gravity magic, Yami's Dark Magic, and Fuegoleon's flame magic... where does Marx fit into this?_ The gravity was getting stronger, and Julius couldn't stay on his feet anymore. In a desperate attempt to escape, he turned and started flying in the other direction. But even that didn't help much, as he fought and strained desperately, being dragged back the whole time.

"Do not resist," the Tetrad called out to him. "No one can escape this attack. Give yourself an easy death."

"No way!" Julius grit his teeth and turned around, still fighting the pull. "C-Chrono....Stasis!" With much difficulty, he managed to fling a couple attacks at the Tetrad. _I don't want to hurt them, but I don't want to die, either!_ The blue globes shot down at the attackers, before promptly being sucked into the Black Plague. _My magic can't even escape it? Not good! Who new that Horatio's gravity magic would be such an effective counter to my Time magic?_ "Ah!" He let out a yell as he started to slip. _NO! I can't let them kill me... for their sakes, at least. Marx, Yami, Fuegoleon, Horatio... I won't let you guys murder me!_

But there wasn't much he could do. With one last cry, Julius was sucked into the vortex. _Fuck!_ It was hot, so hot, already starting to burn through his skin and clothes. _"Chrono Anastasis!"_ The reversal spell surrounded his body, quickly undoing the damage that the Plague was doing. It was horrible, chaotic, and Julius couldn't see a single thing. Every time he tried to freeze the area or send out an attack, it was sucked into nothingness as if it were being sucked into a black hole. All of his mana was going towards healing and just staying alive. _Fuck, fuck! I don't know how much I can hold on-_

Something was prodding his head, the gravity warping not just his body but also his mind. All his thoughts of escape and rescue were drowned out by a horrible, dull sound, almost like a voice.

_Give up. Die. Let it go. Give yourself an easy death._

It was getting harder and harder to maintain mana skin and the spell that was healing him.

_That future you want... you'll never see it come to pass. Either way, you're doomed to fail._

The pain was intense. The voice in his head... was that Marx's voice? Was this a binding spell make to break not just your body, but also your mind?

_You will lose everything that makes you happy._

He could see a body. Lifeless. She was bleeding out from her stomach while the Kingdom burned.

_So... just die!_

It was tempting. Everything hurt, everything was begging for him to let go.

_...but... you can't!_

There was another voice in the darkness. Julius's eyes widened as he felt something warm press itself into his chest.

_You're the Wizard King... you're the most powerful mage in the world! Don't forget that..._

_That's right... how can I protect my kingdom if I can't even protect one person?_

The mana around him strengthened, concentrated, instantly healing the damage the spell was doing to him. This was some fucked-up magic, something he would usually get excited about, but he wasn't going to let it mess with his mind any longer. He had too much to protect, and she was right; he was the Wizard King! As if he would let these people kill him!

" _Mana Zone: Chrono Stasis Grigora!"_

_That's right... this Tetrad is producing so much mana. It's very generous of them... I have the power to control it, after all._

Just as he intended, every ounce of mana in the entire chamber froze, suspended in time. Julius's vision cleared as the Black Plague finally dissolved, blowing away into nothingness. He was the only one who could move here, and he turned in midair to see the Tetrad staring up at him, shocked expressions on their frozen faces. "Whew... that was a close one. Now..." Julius cupped his hands, willing the globe to shrink. It did just that, constricting further and further until it only encased his four friends. Julius floated to the ground gracefully, only a few burn marks remaining on his skin. Finally, he could relax.

"You four stay down here," he ordered, even though they couldn't respond. "I'll be right back, hopefully I can break whatever's linking you together." Without another word, he turned and ran off up the steps at last, his heart pounding in anticipation of what was to come.

_Hold on a bit longer... I'm coming for you both._

* * *

"Isn't this marvelous! Finally, after a century of waiting, we can finally kick back." Mikal did just that, resting his feet up on the table as he folded his hands over his chest. His gaze was out the window into the night. He couldn't see it from here, but he knew that the radius of their power was expanding rapidly. His parents stood a few feet away, holding onto each other as the power of the seven septads was channeled through them. "Our power should be reaching the first few towns in the Diamond Kingdom soon," he added. "It'll take a few hours to reach the border of the Clover Kingdom, however. Not that it matters. We have all the time in the world."

* * *

"Why are there so many damn doors?!" 

Julius was starting to lose patience. The only information he had was that his girlfriend was somewhere close to the top of the tower, but that wasn't nearly specific enough! It didn't help that there were many doors on each landing, and he had to kick each one open to make sure he didn't run by the right room. Many of the rooms were just empty, but others were... creepy. One had children floating in some sort of water tank. The other was occupied with seven people, all with marks and holding hands. The mana resonated from their link, and Julius assumed that was one of the septads. He encountered one septad after another. _That was six... that means that she's got to be with the seventh..._

He kicked open one last door, freezing as soon as he saw what was inside. Six women with glowing marks were standing hand in hand, surrounding yet another water tank. But, inside this one was a very familiar face...

Julius pushed past the other women. Luckily, none of them were responsive in this state and toppled over to the ground without a fight. _Oh god... what did they do to you?!_ he thought, panicking. _This water..._ His eyes fell on a lever on the side of the tank. Without hesitation, he grabbed it and yanked it down. The glass door swung open, its contents spilling out onto the floor. Julius caught her body in his arms, immediately reaching up to check her pulse. _Oh god, oh god..._ Her heart was beating weakly, but she wasn't breathing, and now that she was out there was water spilling from her mouth and nose. _T-They drowned her?! That bastard Mikal did this! I'll kill him!_ However, his anger was quickly drowned out by fear as she failed to respond as he shook her.

"Sweetheart! Darling! Wake up! Please..." Her glowing eyes stared at him sightlessly for a moment. Then, her mouth opened as she and the six others spoke in unison. Her voice was barely audible through the gargling of water.

_"It's too late. This is a spell you can't break. She's where she belongs."_

_Her skin's so cold... and if she dies, the baby-_ Julius squeezed his eyes shut for a moment to clear his head. _I can't think like that... I need to save her, there must be some way!_

He opened his eyes again, despair filling him at the sight of his beloved's still body. It was too much for him to bear, and he raised his head to stare blankly at the glass tank. He could just barely see his reflection, illuminated by a glowing mark on his forehead. _The only time I've ever had this mark was when we tried to do that spell for the first time... our first night together. Back then..._ He frowned, suddenly getting an idea. He looked back down at her face, an identical mark glowing on her skin. _This spell is powerful... but she told me herself, somehow. I'm the Wizard King. I won't let this stand in my way!_

It was his only hope. Squeezing his eyes shut once more, he leaned down and pressed his forehead into hers. Their marks grew brighter, almost impossibly bright, and then-

* * *

_One by one, the hands drift away from my body. My body. I can feel the cold again as my consciousness slowly stirs._ What's going on? Who am I? For a moment... it felt like I was someone else? 

_Memories drift back. They're comfortingly familiar. A man is standing there, staring at me._

_..._ father?

_He smiles, before fading into the darkness._

FATHER!

_I scream out the words, but choke on the darkness around me. I want him back, I want him back so bad. When he was around, everything was so much easier. It was because of him that I could laugh. Because of him, the rest of my family accepted me. Because of him, I reached for a goal beyond my limit. He was... the source of all of my happiness._

_But now..._

_Familiar warmth engulfs me, and my Mark pulses pleasantly._

_My happiness... lies with you._

Reality rushes back, and my eyes finally open. Just as I expected, his are staring right back at me.

"...Ju-"

I gag immediately on water, my stomach full of it. Without hesitation, I turn over and throw it all up, my chest heaving as the burning pain of drowning is pounded back into my body. Everything is still hazy and my heart is racing faster than it ever was before, but, somehow... I'm alive. Not just as a shell being used by someone else, but _me._ I hack up a few last gulps of water before gulping down air. I'm vaguely aware of someone's arms around me, calling my name again and again. I reach out blindly and grab their arm, giving it a squeeze, as that's the only response I can muster right now. _I'm alive... I'm alive..._

Finally, my body starts to settle down, and I sit there for a while against his chest, slowly regaining oxygen. The situation becomes clearer and I remember why I'm here in the first place. "Ah! T-Th-" I barely manage to form words to articulate my fear. "T-the baby-"

"Shh, don't think about that, focus on breathing, don't talk for now." The familiar, tender voice brings tears to my eyes as I finally realize who it is that saved me. _Julius... you actually came... your power was able to break me out of that septad..._ I do as he says and keep breathing. _Nothing feels different down there,_ I think, one of my hands coming up to rest on my stomach. _Maybe it's okay... but I might not be pregnant at all, remember? Keep it together, focus on yourself for now._ The air around me is so cold it makes me shiver, but the arms around me just tighten to shield me from it. The mana resonating through the tower has decreased sharply since I was broken out, which is a good sign.

"...Julius..." I finally manage to open my eyes, looking up at him again. I even manage to smile at the sight of his face. "Y-you actually came-"

"Of course I did," he responds immediately. "I wish there had been a better way for me to meet this side of the family, though..." He trails off before we both start laughing, partly because of the joke and partly because we're just so happy to see each other again. "I thought I lost you... after I promised that I would take care of you both." His brow furrows as he places his hand on top of mine. "I'm sorry..."

"Don't be... if they really wanted me, they would have taken me some other way," I tell him, my voice gradually picking up strength. "Can we get out of here now, please?"

"Yes, of course!" With a little difficulty, he helps me get on my feet and we turn to stumble out into the stairwell, however, we pause as a voice speaks up.

"...no... you can't leave..."

We turn to see the Hexad standing there. They're all holding onto each other tightly, as if they're afraid to let go. All of their wide, glowing eyes are stuck on us, but they hold no malice... only fear.

"You can't leave us here... please..."

 _These people... they're family. They're my aunts._ The realization dawns on me. _When I became one with them, I could feel it. Their longing, their loneliness. They've never experienced anything outside of this tower, they've never known anyone but each other. They were so happy when I joined them..._

"We'll come back for you! I promise!"

Julius nods, glancing between us.

Slowly, the Hexad nods in unison. "...good luck, niece."

With that, we turn back around and leave them behind, for now.

"Geez... I know that they're your family, but they're creepy!" Julius says as we carefully yet quickly descend the stairs.

"I know... but I feel kind of bad for them. They're all being used by Mikal, my uncle," I explain. "Even my grandparents... Julius, apparently they're something called a 'dyad,' and that's why they're so powerful! It's just like when we amplified our magic together!" My heart pounds a little at the thought. "But when they're like that, they're super easy to control, which is how Mikal planned all of this..."

"I know, I learned all that firsthand," Julius groaned. "That uncle of yours somehow managed to put marks on all of us, and I had to fight a tetrad full of our friends. Don't worry, they're fine now, and they're probably freed from their link after I pulled you out." He glances around. "Mikal was trying to spread the Simulcian power to everyone, and force everyone to manifest Marks and links." He notices now that his own Mark disappeared as well. "As long as we keep you away from it, we should be-"

He's cut off by his own scream. I open my mouth to ask what's wrong, but he lets go of me and collapses down the stairs. "Julius!?" I cry out, my own legs buckling as he tumbles away, rolling to a stop on the landing below. I sit up and watch in horror as he convulses as if he's in horrible pain. _This magic... oh no, this is-_

"Going somewhere, you two?"

Of course, it's Mikal, glaring down at us with an annoyed expression as he descends the stairs. His blank grimoire is open in his hand, the other hand outstretched towards Julius. "I was wondering why everything shut down all the sudden. I'm surprised you managed to get past your friends down there, Julius."

Julius can't do much but let pained sound after pained sound leave his lips, but he manages to form a few words. "Y-you... underest...mated me-"

"Oh, did I?"

Mikal lets out a bark of laughter and raises his hand. Julius's eyes widen and he forms a fist, hitting the ground. "Shit! Shit!"

"You're the Wizard King, right? Why don't you do something, then? Aren't you supposed to be super powerful or something?" Mikal taunts. I'm crying out Julius's name, begging Mikal to stop hurting him, but he isn't listening. "You didn't expect someone like me to show up, huh? No one ever expected anything of me, yet here I am! My spatial magic allows me to form tiny portals, but only within the human body... I can put mana in there, I can take mana out, or..." He half-clenches his fingers, earning another yell of pain. "Or I can rearrange your body parts, just long enough to shock the body! Doesn't it feel great? It takes FOREVER to kill someone, though, but eventually..." He continues to clench and unclench his hand, laughing sadistically. "See, even you are powerless before me! I said it before, fate has already approved my dream. This is what happens to those who defy fate!"

He suddenly stops talking as he feels me grab his ankle. I'm still severely weakened, unable to do anything but beg for Julius's life. "Mikal, please! I'll do whatever you want, just stop hurting him!" I cry out, tears shamelessly falling down my cheeks. If we had been a little more careful, Julius could have sensed Mikal and countered him, but once Mikal took control of his body...

Mikal blinks, looking between my tearful face and Julius's agonized form. Then, he starts to chuckle.

"Ah! I get it now!" he says happily. "You two... you're in love?! That's kind of hilarious!" He lifts his foot and plants it on my shoulder. "You and the Wizard King? What a strange couple! Let me guess, when your dad died, you latched onto the first older man you met, right? Ha! Pathetic!" He kicks me away, sending me flying into one of the glass doors. It shatters on impact and I struggle to even sit up. "Enjoy the last few minutes of your individual life by watching me crush your man from the inside!"

"NO!" I cry weakly, wincing as I accidentally place my hand on a shard of glass.

_...fuck! Is this how it ends?! Do I really not have the strength to fight?!_

Julius yells my name. It resonates in my mind.

_No... I have to. He came all this way._

My hand clenches around the glass.

_Mikal is completely focused on Julius... if he lets up for even a second, Julius will attack him. That means..._

Slowly, I manage to climb to my feet using the door-frame.

_... he won't expect an attack from me!_

Mikal looks up as I scream. Just in time to see me launch myself at him, a shard of glass in my hand. 

_Mikal... you sadistic piece of shit... this is for Julius! And for the rest of my family!_

I stab the glass shard into his neck once before pulling it back, a spray of blood in its wake. Mikal's eyes widen at the sight of the red substance. "....you.. how dare you!" He reaches up and grabs my wrist before I can swing down and stab him again. The first wound wasn't nearly deep enough, I need to do it again...

_No... I have a better idea._

His hand clenches my wrist as he starts to push me away. I focus on channeling whatever mana I have left into the glass shard.

_Hotter, hotter..._

_No... FASTER. FASTER!_

I let go of the shard just as Mikal pushes me. It glows blue for a moment, but not the blue of my flames. Then, it shoots through his side faster than the speed of light.

"...GAHHH!" Mikal stumbles back, his eyes starting to go bloodshot. There's blood all over him, and he's clearly panicking. "YOu... you little-" His hand is clutching his side, which is smoking and bleeding from the strange attack I just used. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you both! How DARE YOU make me see my OWN BLOOD!"

He raises his hand to attack me, but someone is instantly standing between us, glowing blue with the power of his time reversal spell.

Julius doesn't say a word. He just raises his hand to Mikal's face. There's a blinding flash of blueish-white light, and Mikal is gone.

I stare at where he stood for a moment, my mind finally catching up with my body. Julius stands there still, frozen, his raised hand trembling slightly. Then, my gaze drops to the ground. All that's left of Mikal is a single scorch mark and his creepy vibes.

_...we did it..._

Julius finally moves, stumbling as he turns around. I'm instantly on my feet, and I catch him before he can topple over. "Julius! Are you alright? That attack was horrible, I can't believe-"

I pause as I make eye contact. Despite all the pain he just went through, Julius is smiling, and his eyes twinkle like always.

"Wow!!! That spell you just used... that was a time acceleration spell! I know, because that's _my_ spell! What does that mean?! How did you do that?!"

"J-Julius! Now isn't the time!" Despite my annoyed tone, I'm so happy that he's already back to his old self. Seeing him in such pain was horrifying... "We can discuss that later..."

"Right, right, let's go!" He takes my hand, glancing at me one last time. "You... you saved me again. I let my guard down and it almost got us both killed." I squeeze his hand, and he squeezes back, smiling again. "You didn't even need me, did you? You're so cool and powerful!" 

Now isn't the time to be making me blush, but he somehow manages to do so. "...Julius..."

"I love you." Without another second to spare, he leans in and presses a shallow kiss to my lips. I don't even have time to return it before he starts to pull me down the stairs. "Now, let's get the Hell out of here!"

I gladly follow, ready to leave this tower behind forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next! Chapter 49: the dyad. The escape doesn't go as smoothly as they wanted. Will they be able to defeat the rage of the sea?


	49. the dyad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. 48 chapters leading up to this... oh boy. Warning this chapter is kind of trippy, well A LOT trippy hehe
> 
> 2\. Just a reminder that this is the end of the prequel arc... yeah. Fuck. Don't worry the timeskip will be happening right after one last mini arc that wraps things up. Sorry about the length and everything... I've never written anything this long before but I hope you're all still enjoying it!!!

We waste no time in climbing back down the long spiral staircase. Both Julius and I are both shaken from the multiple traumatic events that have happened to us within the last five minutes. But we seem to be in the clear for now... Mikal, the mastermind, is dead, and the Simulcian spell has retreated back into the tower before it could cover the continent. 

"Here we are, the others should be... aha! Right here!" We run into a chamber at the bottom of the tower, and I see Yami, Marx, Horatio, and Fuegoleon all trapped within one of Julius's time bubbles. I can't help but feel my heart clench at the sight of them. _They all came to save me... even Horatio? Wow..._ "Here, it seems like they don't have Marks anymore. Release!"

With a snap of his fingers, the spell comes undone and the four men fall to the ground. Marx immediately starts screaming. "Dear GOD! What did I do to deserve this!? I had to see the inside of ALL of your minds at once... GAHH!" He covers his face. "You guys... are disgusting!"

Fuegoleon and Yami immediately start beating Horatio up. " _Candlestick!?_ That was the name you came up with?" Yami snaps.

"You were horrible to her back then! Inviting her on a date just to dump mud on her? You're a disgrace as a magic knight!"

Yami suddenly chuckles and points at Fuegoleon. "And you! Hardnosed Captain Serious... I didn't know you had a crush on-"

Fuegoleon slaps a hand over his mouth. "Shut up! SHUT. UP."

Julius and I stare at the group for a moment longer before laughing. "I see you guys have recovered... I hope it wasn't too horrible?"

They all look over and see us, excited expressions crossing their faces all at once. "You got her back!" Before I know what's happening, two large men and two small men are piling on top of me in a crushing hug. "Ah! Guys, is this necessary?" 

"Yes," Fuegoleon replies immediately. "Do you have any idea how worried we were? You should have come down to the fire yourself instead of sending Julius in your place! Maybe then you wouldn't have been kidnapped!"

"Fuegoleon!" I object. "I didn't have much of a choice, you know!" I send a playful glare over at Julius, who's just smiling as he watches the reunion. 

"I'm surprised you couldn't fight those guys off yourself," Yami scolded. "You're weak."

"Yeah! Yami and I took them out easily," Horatio boasted. 

"Hey! I did all the work."

"You did NOT!"

Marx weeps into my shoulder and I pat his head awkwardly. "I didn't do much, but I'm glad I'm here to see you safe."

"Marx, you did plenty!" Julius reminds him. "We wouldn't have found this place without you."

"Oh, right. That reminds me-" Marx suddenly straightens up and glares at me and Julius. "I can't believe you two! Of all the irresponsible things to do, you let him get you pregnant?! Julius, didn't you get an education in how to prevent this sort of thing?"

"Huh? I mean, yeah, but then it wouldn't be as fun."

"!!! JULIUS!"

They all stop talking when they hear me giggle. "Guys... I'm so happy you came for me. I feel like I don't deserve such good friends."

"What else were we supposed to do?" Yami stands back, his hand remaining on my shoulder as he smiles down at me. "One day... we'll all be captains and laugh about this."

"Captains?" Fuegoleon cocks his head a little, considering it. "I guess... I could see that."

"And me, too, right?"

"... I don't know about that, Horatio."

Julius chuckles and rests a hand on my head. "I'm glad to see you're all eager to move forward... we'll see what happens in a few years." His eyes twinkle a little at the thought, and I think back to something Yami told me a long time ago: _"A foreigner, a girl with a weird thing on her head, and a guy with a tacky looking mask. It's because of him that we're all here today."_

 _Maybe we do owe a lot to Julius... but he just gave us the push. One day, when I'm a Captain, standing up there beside all the others... it'll be because of MY accomplishments._ The thought fills ne with hope, and makes me eager to go back to work, despite what just happened here in the tower. "What are we waiting for, let's get the Hell out of this place!"

We run out onto the shore. It's still dark outside, and I see a small sailboat pulled up onto the sand. "Can't you just... you know... zap us all back?" Marx asks Julius, who cringes a little.

"Marx... I'm still spening almost all my magic on healing myself. That Mikal guy-" He shivers a bit at the thought. I notice that he's still healing himself with a dull blue glow, even though he hasn't betrayed any pain. "Anyway, it's probably safer just to sail. How hard can it be?"

Well... he might have jinxed it. 

We make it out a ways, leaving the tower behind. I let out a sigh of relief and sink down to lean against the side. Julius watches me carefully while Yami tries (and fails) to teach him and the others how to sail. "Marx, how many knots do you know?"

"Knots?! None! This isn't my specialty, you know."

"You're so unhelpful!" Yami groans and starts doing it himself. "Bully boy, PLEASE tell me you know how to tie a knot."

"Stop calling me that!" Horatio snaps before showing him his part of the sail rigging. "How's that look?"

Yami rubs his chin as he examines it. "Could be worse. I guess you had to do some labor since you're a peasent and everything."

Horatio is red in the face. "I was a commoner! Not a peasent."

"Hmph. Still puts you above those two nobles..." Yami's voice trails off when he looks back at Marx and Julius. "...make that ONE noble."

"Julius?! Where on earth did you learn to tie knots like that?!" Marx demands, pointing at Julius's rigging. Every single one of his knots is perfect. Julius just laughs off the question before winking over at me. 

Fuegoleon, who hasn't said anything this whole time, suddenly says ny name, and I look up at him. "Hmm? What is it?"

His brow is furrowed as he stares out at where we just left. "...what happened to your grandparents? Because..." 

His voice trails off, and my blood freezes. We all feel it at once, a huge buildup of mana coming from the sea. 

_...that power... that's... the Dyad!_

We jump to our feet right as the sea starts to boil around the boat. "Guys! Be careful!"

_"Natural Magic: Sea Spears."_

I'm not sure where the voice is coming from, but that spell doesn't sound too bad. Oh boy, am I wrong. The sea starts to spike up around us, bringing rocks and coral in it's wake and flinging them at the boat. "Look out!" Yami is the first to react, drawing his blade. He sends a volley of black spashes out, cutting through the enemy magic, but it's not nearly enough. Fuegoleon tries to block the water, but it extinguishes his flames immediately. "Center shift!" Horatio holds up his arms and sends some of the magic back, splashing back into the sea.

"Chrono stasis!" Julius visibly flinches as he attempts to stop the last few spears. "Ah! Shit!" The last few spiral down and rip right through our mast, sending it flying into the tempest over the side. "...uh oh..." Julius is pale, his weakness making us all panic. "Maybe I should have mentioned this before... but your uncle's attack really did a number on me, ah ha... I've been healing myself ever since."

My eyes widen a bit at the admission. Mikal's magic was able to cause pain by rearranging organs, so the healing process was obviously very long and intricate... letting up for even a moment hurt Julius a lot. So, he had to let up on healing in order to defend? He couldn't defend us without hurting himself, and if he got too hurt, we would be screwed...

" _We will make you regret the day you were ever born! You killed our son... die!"_

We all look up to see the source of the voice. My grandparents, the Dyad, are floating within a ball of rock, seaweed, and water, staring down at us with their glowing eyes. The amount of mana coming off of them is overwhelming, more than anything I've ever felt before. Their clasped hands glow blindingly, their marks pulsing with ancient mana. "This isn't good..." Horatio tries to cast a spell, but can't. "They're controlling all the mana here, I can't produce any magic at all!"

"Hold onto something!" Yami shouts a moment before our boat gets tossed nearly 360 degrees around by the turbulent waters. "Ah!" We all get jostled around, and I roll across the wooden deck before hitting the side hard. Fuegoleon is closest, and he holds onto me while desperately trying to get his Grimoire to work. Julius holds onto the remnant of the mast, clenching his jaw as he barely manages to keep his healing spell going. None of us are given any rest as we're pelted by water and rocks, soaking us to the skin. It's worse than a hurricane, and the waves could take us at any moment. However, the Dyad seems determined to kill us with their own hands. 

" _Natural Magic: Kraken's Gape."_

_Kraken's Gape? KRAKEN'S GAPE?!_

I'm right to think that it sounds like literally the worst thing ever. Just as the words leave their mouths, the sea splits again as huge, long towers of seaweed and rock start to rise out of it, contorting like tentacles. There's not much we can do but watch as they surround us. "They're going to crush us!" Marx shrieks, holding onto the side as we're tossed around. "Someone, do something!"

Fuegoleon, Horatio, and Yami's magic spultters weakly around their hands as they try everything they can to stop the oncoming attack, but we all know that there's only one person who's capable of countering the Dyad...

_But... all his magic is being used to heal himself. If he lets up for even a moment-_

I turn to look over at Julius, who's standing up now. His eyes are locked on me. He's smiling. 

_... no. He is NOT about to sacrifice himself or something, is he?_ I suddenly start to feel a bit angry, and before I know it, my body is moving without me really thinking about it. His eyes widen as I manage to stand up and start advancing towards him. "Julius! You aren't thinking about leaving me alone with a baby, are you?" I snap, still smiling for some reason. I already know what I'm going to do, but there's just one thing I need.

"Huh? Oh, uh, well... the thought crossed my mind," he admits, glancing back up at oncoming attack. "I mean, is there really any other..."

His voice trails off as he realizes what's about to happen. 

_Julius... do you remember how we first met? You came to return my Grimoire to me. And now..._

"Julius."

He reaches into his belt and pulls out my small, blue Grimoire, the one left behind when I was kidnapped. He only hesitates for one moment before holding it out for me to take. 

The boat suddenly jolts again, sending me tripping towards him. He catches me flawlessly, and I straighten back up once I'm on my feet. His eyes are full of concern and fear. Just yesterday morning, he told me he didn't want to do this. But then, last night...

"Remember what I said?" I tell him, my free hand coming up to touch his face. The others are yelling at us, asking what the Hell is going on over there. 

Slowly, Julius manages to return my smile, his hand reaching up to hold mine. 

"...As if you would let me kill you."

Of course, that's a big if. But it's not like we have any other choice. 

For some reason, I don't feel afraid as I open my Grimoire to the page with my Dyad spell. The memory of the pain I felt so long ago feels like it never really happened, even so, my Uncle's warning plays over and over in my mind: _A Dyad created with unbalanced mana will ultimately kill the weaker one... me._

_Even so... I'm stronger than I was before. I'll handle his power better, at least for a little while. And after that... it's all up to Julius. Both of our hopes and dreams, our very survival, resting on the being we are about to create. I'm going to survive this. I'm going to have this child. And then, I'll surpass everyone in my way..._

_Including you, Julius._

I raise my hand, and the spell activates. 

Just like before, the full force of his magic hits me all at once. A pained cry leaves my lips and my knees instantly buckle, leaving me to fall forward into his chest. It hurts, it hurts just as much as it did before. Mana combines, passing between us faster and faster, chipping away at our ego's to break my very being apart.

I'm cracking... but somehow, I'm not scared. I already decided that I'm going to survive. 

Julius is repeating just one phrase over and over again as he holds me close, the mark glowing on his own forehead now. 

_"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry"_

_"It's okay..."_

_I'll be quick, I promise._

_Thank you, Julius._

_No_

_Thank you_

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_I open my eyes, and I'm standing in a familiar forest. Is this... home? Yes... the patch of cornflowers is there by the river. This is where we first met, right? Technically... something about it is deeply nostalgic. I can never go back there, not after my mother told me_

_Get out of my sight_

_Something rustles behind me, and I turn to see that I'm not alone._

_It's a boy. I'm not sure how old he is. He stares at me with wide purple eyes, his blonde hair rustling in the wind._

_Are you..._

_Are you..._

_My son?_

_Or..._

_..._

Me?

_Julius?_

_As soon as he appeared, he's gone. His image cracks in half, diagonally across his body, before he and everything else around me blacks out._

_Wait! Don't go! I still have so many-_

_I fall back, and hit something hard. Someone is grabbing me with their big hands, fingers clenching around my throat. My mouth opens helplessly, neither breath nor voice able to escape. Another hand comes down on me again and again, hitting harder and harder each time. This person... they're trying to kill me!_

_"I hate you! I hate you! You fucking little bitch! Because of you, I'll never be happy! My one greatest desire, you stole it from me! It's ALL YOUR FAULT!!! I'll KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!"_

_Each strike hammered in a horrible reality, again and again._

_NO! You're lying... that can't be true... everything that's happened lead me to believe-_

_"JUST DIE ALREADY!"_

_I open my eyes and can finally make out a silhouette of the person who will never forgive me for ruining their dream._

_..._

_I thought it was my mother. But..._

_No..._

_It- it can't be-_

_His lips move_

Get out of my sight.

_. . ._

_No_

_That's not him_

_You know I wouldn't do that..._

_Even if-_

_Even if._

_._

_._

_Light suddenly filters in, and their grip loosens. I open my eyes once again to look uo at them._

_You..._

_...you_

_There is no you._

_Just me._

_It'll be over in a moment._

_I'm sorry._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_"Instant Fire Magic:"_

_"White Hell."_

Everything was clear now, after that split second of introsepction. I'm not sure what it means, but I don't need to. That's something for them to discover for themselves. 

The "Kraken's Gape" finally strikes, but it's over as soon as it began. I raise my hands, and my fire is already tearing the seaweed and rocks apart. The tentacles fall down into the sea, harmless, while the others, my comrades, watch in a combination of horror and awe. My eyes are glowing, my marks are pulsing, it feels so, so good, yet so bad at the same time. 

Well, in any case it needs to end soon. I'm not a being that can exist for very long. So I raise my hand towards the other Dyad, who are staring down at me in shock. 

A bolt of white fire is already in their hands, and the two people finally blast apart. I don't see their bodies fall into the sea, as I'm already starting to fall apart. 

_The two of you... will be okay._

_As long as you both exist._

_So will I._

_I can feel again. I can feel his arms around me._

_I can feel again. I can feel her in my arms._

The sea settles and the boat stops rocking. Horatio is the only person quick enough to act, halting the old couple's fall before they hit the sea. Yami, Fuegoleon, and Marx are all still staring at Julius and I. My body goes limp, blood dripping from every hole in my face. He's still staring up at the sky, in shock of what just happen. 

_... so, that's a Dyad? That power was unlike anything I could have imagined. But the two of us were able to take out the enemy so easily._ He suddenly smiles and looks down. "We did it! Look-" He stops short when I don't respond, realizing that I am completely unconscious. "Oh... oh dear!" He drops to his knees and instantly gets to work on healing me, his other hand searching for a pulse. To his great relief, he finds it. _My own body doesn't hurt anymore, I guess the Dyad mana was able to heal me completely. And this time, I didn't take over. She was in control... wow..._ The blood retreats back into my body, and he places his hand on my cheek. _You really are amazing. I'm sorry I ever underestimated you._

"Hey!!! Are you going to answer me or not?! What the HELL was that creepy display?" Yami's demands pull Julius from his thoughts and he looks up.

"Julius! That was amazing!!! You two combined your powers, just like you theorized!" Marx just looks happy to be alive. 

"...are you both okay?" Fuegoleon asks. 

Julius can't help but smile as he nods. "Yeah, I think so. I'm fine, and I think she just needs a little nap." He holds me a bit closer to make sure I'm comfortable. 

"I'm thankful and all... but what should I do with these two geezers?" They look over as Horatio finally lets the two older people down, laying them on the deck. The others quickly surround them. 

"Apperently, they were being controlled by their son," Julius explained. "I'm sure they'll be really confused when..." His voice trails off and they all freeze as my grandfather opens his eyes. 

The old man blinks, looking up into the sky. The first rays of sunlight at peeking out over the horizon now. Slowly, he sits up, ignoring the people around him. "... M-My..." He stutters and looks down to see the woman next to him. His eyes grow wide.

"...Linnea."

At the sound of her name, the old woman's eyes open as well. Her gaze falls onto her husband. The two of them stare at each other for a very long time in complete silence, as if they're trying to memorize each other's features. 

Finally, the woman smiles. "You... you're..."

"Elias... yes." The man reaches down, his wrinkled hand cupping her cheek. "Linnea... I can't believe that... for 100 years..." A tear grows in his eyes. "... I never once looked at your beautiful face."

"Well..." She smiles and sits up with his help. Right now, they're the only two people in the world. "You better start making up for those 100 years."

That's all he needs to hear. My grandpa and grandma lean in and kiss each other with one of the most passionate and gross kisses anyone has ever seen. Yami recoils while the others, including Julius, flinch. "Gross, are they using tongue?"

"Julius, this is what I have to go through almost every day," Marx tells him, still wrinkling his nose. 

Finally, the couple realizes that they're not alone and finally look up at the audience. "Oh! You guys," Grandpa says, looking a bit sheepish. "I suppose I owe you thanks... and an apology..."

"You sure do." Fuegoleon crosses his arms. "You're lucky that none of us died, but I still don't appreciate being used like that."

"I'm very sorry this all happened..." Grandma says. "Our youngest son was always a bit strange, but I never thought he would try and take over the world!"

Julius frowns a little as he listens. "I'm sure it wasn't an easy thing to go through. 100 years..."

"I'll say!" Grandpa scoffs. "Dyads were only supposed to be together for short periods of time. We let our son convince us to stay together all the time, and because of that, our people were slaughtered, and nearly everyone was under his control." His eyes darken as he holds his wife's hands. "We'll never atone for any of that."

Grandma looks up at Julius. "Thank you, for ending Mikal's terror. I'm sad that my son is dead... but it had to be done."

The moment was grim for a little, before her eyes light up. "Oh! That's right, you weren't alone... look, Elias, our granddaughter!"

The couple crawls over to my unconscious body, still curled up where Julius laid me down. "Oh... she's so young and beautiful!" they cry out in unison, watching me sleep. 

Julius chuckles to himself and scratches the back of his neck. "I know, isn't she?"

My grandparents both turn to frown up at him. "You're... you're her lover, aren't you?"

Julius gulps, not sure he liked how they were looking at him. "Uh, yeah, I suppose you could call me-"

The two are immediately on their feet, circling him and poking him all over. "You? And our granddaughter? Hmm." Grandpa rubs his chin. 

Grandma starts feeling up his arm. "He's sturdy, and quite handsome, too."

"Supposedly, you're a king, right? Good for her."

"But, uh... how old are you?"

Julius laughs off the interrogation. "35 as of two days ago-"

He cries out as the two immediately jump him, beating him weakly with their fists. "You bastard! What are you doing to our precious granddaughter?!"

"That's hilarious and all, but how am I going to fix our boat?" Yami interrupts and points at the broken mast. "We can't really sail without, you know, a SAIL!"

"Oh, leave it to me!" Grandpa pulls out his blank blue Grimoire. "Water magic, sea sled!" The water wells up under the boat, and we start to zip forward over the water. "Give me directions, I'll take you wherever you want to go!"

"What a strange geezer," Yami mutters before going to stand next to him. 

Grandma sighs and sits down next to me, smiling to herself. "I'm sorry we couldn't meet earlier..." her hand, the one with the mark, comes up to rest on my forehead. A spark of mana appears at the contact, and her eyes widen a bit as information from my head flows into her own mind. She glances up at her husband, still chatting away happily with the others, then at Julius, who sits down on my other side. The information she learned quickly formed a pit of dread in her stomach. 

_...she thinks she's pregnant?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time! Chapter 50: the miracle. Things seem to have died down... for now. But a disturbing revelation turns everything upside down.


	50. the miracle (**)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Okay so the start of the chapter is kind of really spicy so you can skim if ya want hehe
> 
> 2\. This chapter is the epitome of "This can't possibly get worse" *proceeds to get worse* bc I am the queen of angst hehe.

_Get out of my sight._

The haunting words immediately pull me from my sleep and I sit up straight. The last thing I remember was... was...

Wait, did we make it out of there alive?

I'm in my hotel room in Raque. It's a familiar sight, light streaming in through the window and a tropical breeze fluttering the curtains. I can even hear the ocean in the distance. So... it worked. I was able to form a Dyad with Julius, a real one this time! I really have become stronger... not nearly strong enough to shoulder the burden entirely, but I didn't let him take control this time. _Knock knock._ My heart nearly jumps into my mouth as door opens, revealing the very person I was just thinking about. "Julius! I immediately start asking questions. "What happened? Where are my grandparents? Was everyone okay? Are you-"

I'm cut off as he reaches the side of my bed in two strides, flinging himself onto me in a bone-crushing hug. I can't help but giggle a little as I hug back, just as glad to see him. "Slow down, we have time to talk about all this," he assures me, pulling back to smile happily down at me. He looks genuinely relieved, but there's something else in his gaze... his eyes, specifically...

"Julius... were you... crying?"

He blinks once, a little surprised, but then laughs it off. "Oh, it's nothing! I was just worried about you, that's all..." I'm not sure that he's telling the truth, but he doesn't give me a chance to respond. "And to answer one of your questions, yes, everyone's alright. Marx is traumatized but he's taking a nap now. But everyone else is in good spirits. In fact-" He checks his watch. "I'm supposed to meeting them soon, we're going back to the tower to retrieve the rest of your family. We managed to free your grandparents from their link while we were in our Dyad... they'll be coming with us, but they want to talk to you first."

I nod along, taking it in slowly. "How long do you have?"

"Maybe 30 minutes... Yami wants me to help get the sails ready." He groans. "I guess I'm just that good at tying knots."

We both laugh at that, his arm snaking around me to pull my body closer to his in the bed. "Really, though... I'm glad we got out of that alright. That was a little too close..."

"I agree." I nestle my face into the crook of his neck, relishing the closeness. Of course, it was nowhere near as close as we had been earlier this morning... forming that Dyad was unlike anything I had ever felt before. It hurt, it was scary, and that deep dive into our mind was traumatic... but at the same time, it felt good. Way too good...

I don't even realize it as I think, but both of our hands are on each other, instinctively pulling off clothes and running fingers over skin. Maybe it's not the best idea, but I don't care for once... after he saved me, and we shared that strange experience, my body is craving his more than ever before. Apparently his is as well, his large hands making short work of the few clothes I'm wearing. As soon as my skin is exposed he leans down to caress me with his hands and lips. He doesn't say anything for a while, his tongue kneading my skin gently, until a soft whimper leaves my lips when his fingers hit a sensitive spot. "...I don't know what's come over me, but I-"

"I need you right now." To our surprise, my lips move at the same time, the words coming out in unison. A little freaky... but also kind of hot. I sit up and latch onto his neck, determined to leave a dark purple hickey in the spot. Julius moans quietly, his grip tightening at the feeling as his fingers explore between my legs. My own hand drifts down his stomach teasingly. He can't take it so he grabs my hand and wraps it around the base of his hard cock, making me stroke it firmly.

We stay like that for a while until he decides that's enough. I find myself pinned down instantly, his mouth hungrily moving against mine. He swallows my pleasured cry when he pushes inside, mixing it with a moan of his own. His hips simply grind against me for a minute or so, and his lips drift down to trace my ear, humming happily. "What do you say to the man who just rescued you?"

I guess he still has time for a little dirty talk. "Thank you-"

"Thank you, _who?"_

"Thank you, Juli-" His grip tightens slightly, causing me to cry out. "No, no... thank you _Wizard King."_ I make sure to moan out the last words, because I know how riled up that makes him.

Sure enough, Julius chuckles to himself, his touches becoming more gentle. "Good... you're very welcome. After all, what would I do without you... my good, good girl."

Fuck. Even just those words push me so close to the edge, and Julius just has to thrust his hips a few times to send me into a pleasured fit. He lifts his head slightly then presses his forehead against mine. I feel a spark of something at the contact, then unbelievable pleasure. The only thing I can do at this point is cry out his name and tremble. He doesn't last very long either, his pace stuttering as he finally reaches his end. Surprisingly, he actually pulls out, his body arching over me as he releases everything on my stomach. 

It takes a while for us to catch our breaths after that. Neither of us move, and I don't dare open my eyes for fear that it may have all just been a dream. Something wet is on my face, and for a moment, I think it's... well, you know. But, when I finally open my eyes, I see what it really is...

"...Julius!" His eyes are watering, filling with tears. A few drip down and hit my face. I quickly sit up and cup his face. He's not full on crying, but he has to bit his lip to keep it together. I'm both astonished and worried at the sight. "Julius, what is it? Are you-"

"I-I'm fine," he says, shaking his head a little. My thumb brushes over his cheek, wiping the tears away. He sniffs a few times, then manages to smile. "I... I'm just a sentimental old man, you know. Don't worry about me." He chuckles a bit. "I just... I feared that I would never be able to do that with you ever again. I was scared, more scared than I've been in a while."

His hand comes up and holds mine as he gazes down into my eyes. "I love you, always. Don't ever forget that."

My lips curve into a small smile at his words. Even now... he still makes me blush. "I won't forget... I love you too."

He carries me to the shower after that to get me cleaned up, washing my hair myself. I make an offhand comment about him not having to pamper me like this until I actually start to show my pregnancy in my belly, to which he just hums in response. After drying off and getting dressed, he tucks me back into bed. "I'll be back by the evening. Stay in bed until then."

I actually feel pretty good and healthy right now, but Julius isn't going to take no for an answer. "When you come back... let's go see Owen together," I suggest.

"... yes of course."

With one last kiss on the forehead, he turns and leaves me alone. However, it's not for long. I sit up again as two older people open the door and walk in, their faces lighting up as they see me awake. "...granddaughter!!"

Their voices are cheery, bright, so different from the monotone way they spoke when linked together. And their eyes are so vibrant, their smiles so wide... they look like a normal, elderly couple. I stare at them in shock for a moment before smiling back. "...grandma? Grandpa?"

They rush over, throwing their arms around me and babbling about how happy they are to meet me at last. I can't help but notice that when they move, their bodies are still almost in synch, even though they're no longer linked in a Dyad. They finally stop smothering me and sit up to gaze at me happily. "We're so happy to see you... I'm very sorry for everything Mikal put you through," Grandma tells me, reaching out to pinch my cheek. "He manipulated many people, and did more damage that we could have ever imagined... thank you for ending his terror."

I squeeze her hand, looking between her and grandpa. "So... you two were in a Dyad for 100 years?" I ask wonderously. "I could barely handle it for a minute or so... is that because you two have very similar mana levels?"

"I believe so," Grandpa says. "Back in the day, when someone manifested the Dyad spell, they were supposed to pick a partner that they were compatible with, both with mana and with their relationship. It didn't have to be lovers, or a married couple. Many before us were siblings, or good friends. A few were even rivals..." he chuckles. "Those were interesting. But for me, I had to choose my wife, of course." He leans over and gives her a wet kiss. I wrinkle my nose.

"So... the _Dyad spell..._ it allows you to choose someone to be your partner for the rest of your lives?" I ask, intrigued. 

Grandma nods. "Yes... the Dyad was crucial to our magical powers. Maybe we used those powers for bad reasons some times, but we still felt blessed by its existence." She sighs. "Of course, the Dyad isn't meant to be together all the time, you know. What Mikal made us do was unnatural. It felt good to be one, but we eventually got lost in it." Her eyes darken a bit. "And while we were lost, Mikal forced others to synchronize. We had five children, and he was the youngest. He forced our four eldest to form a Tetrad."

I remember them, and I nod along. "I see... and then he made you guys..." my voice trails off at the look in their eyes. To them, they were forced to commit and unforgivable crime. It's probably better to not mention it. "But, if the Dyad isn't together all the time, how did the Simulcians keep drawing from its power?"

Grandpa laughs a little. "The Dyad is powerful enough to linger after being broken. The exchange of magic and consciousness between two people is so potent and forceful, it ends up leaving something behind. You probably felt it, right?" My eyes widen as he speaks. "You and your Julius... inside you, there will always be a little piece of his soul. And inside him, a piece of yours."

So, that's what Mikal tried to purge from my mind? A piece of Julius's soul? So, I would be able to use my Mark to keep drawing from the power of a Dyad, but this time, it would be _my_ Dyad.

"He really is a strange man..." Grandma suddenly says. "I never expected you to end up choosing the Wizard King as your partner! But more than that... for a human, he's incredibly powerful. It's bizarre, how powerful he is... it makes me think that there's more to him than meets the eye. Also, even though he's human, you were able to make him manifest a mark of his own, which shouldn't be possible. Maybe it's because you're half human yourself?"

_Maybe you're half human yourself._

"Whoa, whoa! Slow down!" I hold my hands up, a shocked expression on my face. "What do you mean, _half-human?_ Aren't Simulcians human, too?"

Their silence is telling. My grandparents exchange a glance, and my grandpa laughs nervously. "Well, you see... Simulcians have been living separately from the mainland humans for a long, long time. Apparently there were still Elves around when we first left to colonize the island."

 _Elves?_ I have no idea what they're talking about, but I don't have time to ask. "We didn't really contact any other kingdoms for a long time, until sailors from the Diamond Kingdom came to propose a trade deal with us. We agreed. Soon after, a girl from the Diamond Kingdom fell in love with one of our men. They got married, but..." Grandma's voice trailed off before she continued. "She was never able to produce any children. A few of these marriages occurred over the years, with no success."

"...Huh..." I frown a bit. "So, because Simulcians and humans weren't able to breed... we're different species?"

"That's what we think. Of course... your existence contradicts that."

That's right, I was born, somehow.

"Your birth was, in every sense of the word..."

Grandma smiles. 

"A miracle."

Grandpa nods in agreement. "Your mother was human, your father was simulcian. Not only that, but your father had been synchronized before... there's no way that he should have been able to father a child."

"And yet, here you are." I'm still confused and taking it all in as Grandpa takes my other hand. "How that's possible... we don't know. But maybe it's because _you_ were meant to be a Dyad."

I blink, not quite understanding his meaning, so he explains further. "The Dyad will always exist, and it always has existed. We Simulcians have an ardent belief in _fate..._ you were _fated_ to be born because _Julius_ was born."

...

Something still isn't adding up.

"That fate stuff is weird, I mean, fascinating and all..." I start to say slowly. "But... you said that my father had been synchronized before. What does that have to do with me being a miracle?"

My heart falls as soon as I see the look on my Grandma's face. Maybe I already knew what she was about to say.

"You see... Simulcians were biologically programmed to undergo some changes once they synchronized into a Dyad, and later other types of links. Your grandfather and I haven't aged since we were 65. Not only that, but we no longer need to eat or sleep."

_Eat? Is that why, after I used the spell for the first time, my hunger started to disappear?_

"And also..." My grandma averts her eyes from mine. "...your reproductive functions stop working."

I open my mouth slightly, my heart starting to clench even though I don't completely understand what she's trying to say. "...but... that can't be right! I-I'm pregnant! I think- I mean-"

"Your period stopped coming, right? I'm sorry... but it will never come again."

I've gotten used to the fact that reality is harsh and unforgiving, but this... this was just cruel.

"So... not only am I not pregnant... but I'll never become pregnant?"

"...yes. I'm sorry."

My breath starts to become tight and shaky. "B-but then, Julius, and and Yami and the others, they were synchronized, will they-"

"They're humans, they aren't built the same way as you," Grandpa cuts in, looking like he feels a bit awkward. "They won't notice any changes. Julius will still feel your presence within him, but he won't be sterilized."

_Sterilized._

_So... for all those years..._

I remember a day long ago. My mother was particularly harsh. I had a bruise on my cheek, and I cried into my father's shoulder. His eyes were filled with guilt...

_"If anyone should be sorry, it's me."_

_So, for all those years... my mother wasn't infertile. It was my father's fault. The reason why she wasn't able to achieve her dream of having a big family was because of my father, not me..._

_But now..._

_"...I guess... one day... Once everything settles down... I... I would like to have a family."_

I remember the vision I had while synchronized with Julius. Those eyes glaring down at me, crazed with rage and disappointment. 

" _Just die already."_

_"Get out of my sight."_

My hand comes up and covers my mouth as I start to panic. My grandparents are rubbing my shoulders gently as the shock washes over me. Not only have I managed to sterilized myself, but in doing so, I've made it impossible for Julius to ever achieve his dream. Impossible, that is... as long as he stays with me.

_He said he would love me no matter what. But that was when he thought I might be carrying his child? Oh god..._

I eventually calm down and my grandma keeps talking. "So... you'll notice some other changes, too. Your hunger and thirst will disappear. Your need to sleep will disappear. And you will not age beyond the day you first synchronized."

"Not age... am I immortal, then?" I ask, feeling a bit bitter about everything. Part of me wishes that I could just die right now.

"No, not exactly... your lifespan will be extended, yes, but one day..." Grandma casts her gaze down again. "...you will drop dead."

That's... disturbing. "But... then you guys, and all the others..."

"Yes. Our time will be over soon, as will the lives of our eldest children," Grandpa answers. "Those who were in the septad will no longer be able to produce children. The only hope for the Simulcians lies with the young one who haven't been 'born' yet. But even then... they would have to mate with humans."

It's strange to think that the Simulcian race might be extinguished so soon. I nod along with them, feeling tears prick my eyes. I never got to meet my grandparents on my mother's side, but now I have so little time with my father's parents... this situation was slowly making me sick. "That's... awful."

"Yeah... we're not sure what we're going to do," Grandma admits. "We're going to talk to Julius about it soon."

I open my mouth to ask if they've told Julius about my... condition yet, but I stop myself. _Of course they haven't. He wouldn't have come here this morning if he knew._ "Thanks for all the information... it's a lot to take in."

Grandma nods and kisses me on the cheek while Grandpa holds my hand. "I know... we can talk about it more when we get back, okay?" 

The two of them leave soon after, hand in hand. I lay back on the bed and stare blankly up at the ceiling. I'm screaming on the inside, but for some reason I can't bring myself to cry, even though it hurts so much. _I'll never have children... I'll never be able to give Julius the life he dreamed about. Would he really still love me when he finds out? Or will it be too much for him to bear..._

It's slowly becoming too much for _me_ to bear. Without really thinking about it, I finally slip out of bed and get dressed. I don't want to stay here any longer... I don't want to see Julius when he gets back. My plan is just to leave this town, go back to the base, maybe do some work, and have time to myself to calm down. Maybe then I can face everyone again. Or maybe not...

Fuegoleon gladly lends me his broom, since he's staying in town until Julius and the others come back. Taking care of all the freed Simulcians is going to be quite a task. "Are you sure you can manage the ride? I'm sure Julius wouldn't want you to move so much yet," he asks, concerned.

I shake off the worries. "I'll be fine! I actually feel pretty alert right now." With a bright smile that doesn't betray my anguish, I wave goodbye and head off to the west, towards the Crimson Lion Base.

_Maybe if I have a few days to myself... everything will become clearer. I'm sure things are going to get better._

I couldn't have been more wrong.

"You're back!" Alana and Gareth rush up to my room, stopping when they see me frozen in the doorway. Alana gulps and walks up next to me, looking in at my room. It's completely trashed, my bed flipped over, my desk on its side, and clothes flung everywhere. "...this happened last night while you were away. I don't know what they wanted, they just asked if you were here and when we said no they searched your room-"

 _Someone was searching my room? Who would do that!?_ "You saw them here?" I asked, turning to face the pair. "Who were they, exactly?"

Gareth gulps. "I think... they were Royal Guards."

_Royal Guards? Why on earth..._

OH. OH FUCK.

Right as I realize what's going on, a thundering of footsteps comes up the stairs. The three of us turn around just in time to see 5 Royal Guards run up into the hallway. The moment they see me, they draw their wands, energy already concentrating at the ends. "You two! Step away from her," one of them barks to Gareth and Alana. They have no choice but to move out of the way, watching the spectacle with wide eyes. "And you... give us your Grimoire and put your hands up!"

I clench my jaw, my mind spinning. On top of everything else, now I'm about to get arrested? "W-Why?" I ask, failing to keep my voice steady. I already know why, but they need an arrest warrant, right? "What authority do you have to arrest me?"

One of them holds up a scroll, the document scrawled in pen. I can make out my name on one of the lines. "By order of King Augustus Kira Clover the 13th, you are hereby under arrest for corruption and attempted assassination."

Corruption? Assassination?! I didn't do either of those things! All I did was defend myself against a creepy old man... even though that creepy old man ended up being King Augustus, I can't believe that he's actually going through with this. But where did the corruption come from?

It's not like I have a say in the matter, after all. With my heart pounding, I do as they say, surrendering my Grimoire and holding my hands up. They immediately grab me and pull out a pair of handcuffs, being a bit more rough than is necessary. "The trial will be tomorrow." One of them turns toward Alana and Gareth. "You two are officially under surveillance for witnessing this arrest. Go to your rooms and remain there. Charges will be leveled if you speak of this to anyone."

Alana opens her mouth to object, but quickly gives up. This isn't good... not only am I being arrested, but now no one is going to know about it? I don't even get to say goodbye. One of the guards opens up a spatial portal and we disappear to what I assume is the castle. They instantly pull me down a flight of stairs, down into darkness.

Well... looks like I'm sleeping in a dungeon tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 51: the magic knight. MC is forced to make a decision that will decide her fate.


	51. the magic knight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. this chapter is a big oof but don't worry it has some wholesome moments too
> 
> 2\. one more chapter before the timeskip! one more chapter to conclude this conflict lmao

"Hello, Owen! How's my favorite doctor doing this morning?"

Owen blinked. He hadn't even had his first coffee this morning, but now Julius is here. "Oh, Julius, I didn't expect to see you here this early," he greeted wearily. "What can I do for you? Don't tell me you're sick."

Julius laughed his question off. "No, no, I'm not here for me... er..." He closed his eyes briefly, feeling a bit awkward. "You see... do you remember that girl I told you about? The Magic Knight who was involved in that mess at the King's birthday a year ago?"

"Oh, her? The girl you won't shut up about?" Owen raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, of course I remember. Why?"

Julius blushed. "Has she been by today? I was supposed to be looking after her, but she disappeared while I was out."

 _Looking after her?_ "No... not today. The last time I saw her was a few days ago." Owen didn't know what was going on between them, but he was curious as to why Julius was so concerned all the sudden. "She disappeared? Is it serious?"

"Ah, I hope not. She kind of does what she wants, though," Julius replied. "I _am_ worried... well, since I'm here." He cleared his throat, avoiding Owen's eyes. "She... took a test the other day, right? A, uh... pregnancy test?"

 _Huh? How does he know about..._ Owen suddenly realized what was going on here. "Julius! You two actually got together!?" He laughed a little bit at the man. "That's funny... this whole time, I thought you just had a huge crush on her."

"OH? Ah, well." Julius laughed along with him, still feeling a bit tense about the whole thing. He told her to stay in bed, after all, and now she was gone? He left Fuegoleon and the others in Raque to take care of the rescued Simulcians, then sent Marx back to the castle to get everything settled. "You got me there... but anyway, the test." He clenched his fist a little. "What was the result?"

"Oh, that. It was negative," Owen replied. "You dodged a bullet there, my friend."

Julius stood there for a moment, taking it in, then nodded. _...I knew that would be the case._ "I see. You're right, she's much too young to be having a kid right now. Maybe in a few years."

"A few years? You're that serious about her, huh?"

Julius smiled to himself at the thought. "Yeah... I am. I couldn't see myself with anyone else."

Suddenly, the communication spell popped up next to him, revealing Marx's face. "Lord Julius! The King is demanding that both of us come meet him in his throne room immediately."

Julius sighed. "Alright, I'll be there in a moment." He turned back to Owen with a smile. "Thanks for everything. See you later." With that, he zoomed off to the castle once again, wondering what on earth Augustus could want.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"All rise for his Majesty the King!"

I don't know what to expect today, but one thing's for sure. I'm screwed. _Royally_ screwed.

Augustus appears at his box. The Royal Parliament is the judicial body of our government, although I didn't know much about it until today. From the looks of the crowd in this room, it's made up exclusively of royalty and nobles. Great, just great! I look up at the King's box. He's wearing his usual cape and crown, and he has a makeshift splint on his nose. Did I really break it when I elbowed him?! The King's eyes fall onto me and he sneers, clenching his staff a little tighter. I was close to throwing up already but now my stomach is doing somersaults. I'm still not sure what I'm in trouble for, but I'm sure if they let me explain everything I can clear it up...

"You, you're currently a member of the Crimson Lion Kings Magic Knight's squad, correct?" the Judge asks from his podium. Everyone is so high above me, here... I'm forced to stand in the middle of the circular room, still handcuffed, while the seats rise above me several levels. 

"That's correct." I fight to keep my voice steady. "Intermediate Knight 2nd class."

"Right." The Judge examines his papers. "You've been a magic knight for over a year now, right?"

"Yes sir."

"And yet, you've managed to collect many honors and promotions."

I gulp, not sure I like where this is going. "Y-yes, I suppose, but I was just doing my job, it wasn't up to me-"

"Enough." The judge silences me. Augustus twirls his mustache as he surveys the proceedings. "We will be the judge of whether or not it was your own actions that resulted in your honors. Now..." He clears his throat. "Answer truthfully... on the morning of October 16th, did you or did you not physically assault his Majesty King Augustus?"

Oh boy. I clenched my cuffed fists before answering. "Yes, but-"

"Enough." He silences me before I can explain. The audience murmurs to themselves indignantly. _"She did WHAT?!" "Why was she in the castle in the first place?" "How obscene..."_ "As you can see, his Majesty suffered a serious injury from that assault, which you just admitted to, by the way." Augustus stands up and the crowd gasps at the sight of his broken nose. "This is a serious crime, do you understand that?"

My eyes widen a bit as the tide starts to decidedly turn against me. "W-wait! I didn't mean to hurt him! It was in self defense, I was just trying to-"

"Self defense?" The Judge raises an eyebrow. "What exactly were you defending yourself from?"

It's humiliating, but I have to tell the truth. I cast my eyes to the ground.

"T-the King... he was trying to put his hand up my skirt."

The crowd erupts in outrage. At first I think it's against the King, but I realize the opposite is true as soon as I listen to what they're saying.

"Liar!"

"The King would never do such a thing!"

I should have expected this, but there's not much I can do other than dig my grave deeper. "I'm not a liar! He did! I would never hurt the king otherwise!" I try and yell over the voices. "I saved his life, once! Why would I want to hurt him!?"

"Shut up!"

"Execute her!"

"SILENCE!" The crowd dies down once the Judge booms out the command. I meekly look up at him with wide eyes, begging for mercy. "Many of you are probably wondering why this Knight was allowed in the castle, and how she managed to climb to such a high rank in such a short time." The Judge points at a door to my right, next to an empty pedestal. "The King has brought forth a witness. Nozel Silva, please come forward."

 _Nozel? Nozel is a witness?_ It doesn't take me long to realize why he's here. Julius promised that he would talk to the man about keeping silent, but that ended up being lost after everything that happened in the past days. I watch as Nozel makes his way to the witness stand. His eyes meet mine for just a moment before he looks away. He seems almost... ashamed? Like he's being forced to do this.

"Nozel Silva. Describe your encounter on the evening of October 15th."

I wince a little, knowing exactly what he's going to say. Nozel gulps and starts his testimony.

"I was delivering a present to the Wizard King, since it was his birthday. He wasn't in his office so I wandered around the castle a little bit in order to find him. Eventually, I did find him... but he wasn't alone."

"And... who was he with?"

Nozel closed his eyes before pointing right at me. "The defendant."

 _He can't even say my name. Maybe he doesn't remember,_ I think, too overwhelmed to even panic at this point. Was Nozel Silva of all people about to expose us?!

"And, what were the Wizard King and Defendant doing, exactly?"

The silver-haired man grit his jaw momentarily before answering.

"They were.... um..." He clears his throat awkwardly. "Embracing."

Once again, the crowd explodes with outrage.

" _Embracing?! EMbRAcing!?"_

_"What right does she have to be so familiar with the wizard king?!"_

_"This is scandalous!"_

_"Who knew such a skanky commoner could seduce the Wizard King?"_

I open and close my mouth, trying to find the words to defend myself. Nothing is coming to mind. _Where even is Julius? Does he know about this!?_ Augustus is smirking to himself up in his box. "I think it's fairly obvious what's going on here," the Judge says. "In that case-"

"Wait!" Nozel suddenly interrupts, quieting the crowd. "This woman... she may be lowborn, and a commoner, and maybe she even assaulted the King, but from what I observed, seduction was not-"

"That's enough, Nozel."

"Sir, you can't silence me, I'm Royalty-"

"THAT'S. ENOUGH."

Even Nozel doesn't dare speak up again. I don't know who this Judge guy is, but he commands the whole room effortlessly. His hardened gaze turns back down to me. "It's fairly obvious what you're up to. Using your feminine wiles to gain favor with the Wizard King, who then gives you promotions in return for... well, you know." My face is bright red at this point from shame, and I open my mouth to object, but he doesn't give me the chance. "And then we can conclude that you used that position to get close to the King, who rejected your advances, prompting you to assault him, correct?"

"What?! No! I didn't do that at all! I told you, the King was the one who-"

"That's enough. The evidence against you is overwhelming." The "evidence" he's talking about is shaky at best, but the room is clearly all against me at this point. Nozel clenches his jaw as he sits in silence, his hands shaking as they grip the edge of the stand. There's nothing anyone can do at this point, and Julius isn't here to protect me. 

Augustus chuckles to himself as he observes. _This is too perfect... I couldn't care less about who Julius decides to fuck, but that man needs to be taught a lesson. Humiliating his woman like this will do the trick. Especially since her downfall will be at her own hands._

The judge points back down at me accusingly. "I hereby convict you of assault against a Royal and corruption. As for your sentence..." I hold my breath, terrified. Did I really just get convicted? Everything's happening so fast, it's too much...

"King Augustus has decided to be merciful and offer you a choice." My eyes widen a bit at the information.

"I can sentence you to death. Your execution will be carried out immediately. Such a punishment is typical for the crimes you've committed. Or..." He smiles just a little. "You can be expelled from the Order of Magic Knights and stripped of your rank."

"Huh? Neither of those sound very merciful!" I cry out, my hands shaking. Death? Or being expelled? What the Hell kind of choice was that?!

"Nevertheless, you must choose. Die honorably as a Magic Knight or be stripped of all the honor you hold. Decide quickly."

Well, when he put it like that, it sounded even worse. I feel tears welling up in my eyes at the unfair choice I have to make, and for this unjust situation. Just because I defended myself, everything was turned upside down? I don't want to die, I know that much, but at the same time, I don't want to lose everything I've worked for. Yet again, if I die, does my rank even matter?

I remember what Yami and William said to me, it feels so long ago now. All of us... we were supposed to become captains together. I was supposed to rise in the ranks and keep being the best magic knight I could be. If I go on living, that future is gone anyway.

As for Julius... do I even have a future with him now? After learning about my condition, and now being exposed in front of everyone, there's no way I'm ever going to be able to be by his side again.

_A world like that... I don't want to live in..._

_Lyra. I wish I could have seen you one last time. I'm sorry for not writing at all over the last few months... but you wouldn't want to hear that I was dishonored, would you?_

I bite my lip to ground myself back in reality. Everything went wrong so quickly, but that's just how it ended up being. I don't have a choice. 

_I'm sorry, Julius. I don't think I could have made you happy anyway._

"Well? What's your choice?"

The room is quiet as I finally raise my head to look up at the judge with tired eyes.

"... I choose-"

I don't have time to finish my sentence as the door slams open, causing everyone in the room to jump. My gaze is drawn along with everyone else's to the open door, and see that there's one tall man and one short man standing there. Usually I would be really happy to see them, but right now, my heart falls.

"Augustus! There you are! You silly goose!" Julius smiles as brightly as he usually does as he strides into the room like it's no big deal. Marx is right beside him, grimoire in hand. "You told me to meet you in the throne room, but you're here in the Royal Parliament? Oh, and you're having a trial, too!" Julius doesn't look the least bit surprised. It's my guess that Augustus invited him to a "meeting" in order to get him out of his hair for the trial. Julius finally looks at me and offers a smile, which falters as I quickly look away, embarrassed. _Julius... this really isn't the time._ The fact that he's here and acting like normal doesn't help, and I feel a bitter taste start to appear in my mouth.

"Julius! Grrr." Augustus grumbles down at him. "We were almost done, too. What the Hell do you want?!"

Julius ignores him, finally reaching me. The crowd gasps a little as he just goes right ahead and stands next to me. "Are you alright?" he asks me softly. I nod silently, keeping my gaze on the ground, and flinch when I feel his hand come up to rest on my shoulder. He finally redirects his attention to the Judge and the King. "I sincerely hope that you weren't trying to distract me while you sentence my good friend here to death."

"We were actually waiting for her to decide," the Judge says. "In fact, I'm pretty sure she made up her mind already, death or expulsion?"

Julius raises his eyebrows, a little disturbed by the choice. "Oh? For what charges? Don't you know, I can just pardon her."

"Actually, you can't." The judge adjusts his glasses. "Her crimes supersede your authority. She's been convicted of assault against a Royal, something that doesn't concern you. And anyway..." he wrinkles his nose. "I'm not sure you should be allowed to have a say in this case, seeing as her seduction compromised you."

"...oh, you guys found out about that?" Julius laughs nervously, squeezing my shoulder. I'm not sure if it's because he's nervous or because he's trying to tell me to be calm. "I guess it was bound to happen. And seduction? You don't have to worry about that! The only person doing any seducing..." He smirks a little. "... was me."

"He's right!" We're all surprised to hear Nozel suddenly speak up. "When I saw the two of them together, I didn't think it was one seducing the other... it was a- uh..." He wrinkles his nose. "A _mutual_ seduction." The crowd is whispering again now, confused about all this new information. "Not only that... this woman- no, this magic knight." I look up at the resolve in his voice to see him staring right at me. "-this magic knight has won the respect of many. She's proven herself again and again. She has the respect of her Captain, Fuegoleon Vermillion, and since he's my rival..." Nozel visibly cringes.

"She has my respect as well."

My eyes widen at the admission, the crowd talking among each other. "Nozel respects her? And he calls himself Royalty? Absurd!"

"Still, if she didn't actually seduce the Wizard King-"

"That's all very well and good, but she still assaulted the King," the Judge cuts in. "That alone is worthy of a death sentence. She claimed it was in self defense, but has no proof."

"Proof? Well, if you need proof..." Julius motions towards Marx. "My Advisor Marx can replay memories. Let him do so now, and see what really happened back then."

Augustus starts sweating as the Judge rubs his chin. "Very well... make it quick."

Marx instantly walks next to me, holding up his Grimoire. He smiles a bit reassuringly as he raises his hand. "May I?"

Part of me wants to refuse, because I really don't want to relive my assault in front of all these strangers... and in front of the two of them. But it's not like I have a choice. Slowly, I nod, and squeeze my eyes shut.

_"Memoire Absolute."_

I hear the spell activate, and the scene starts to play.

"... _how old are you?"_

_"...twenty, sir."_

Oh god. My hands start to shake, but Julius moves in closer and snakes his arm around my shoulders. I'm not sure how he can be so bold in front of so many disapproving eyes, but it's comforting, all the same.

_"Really, sir, I-I don't want to-"_

_"Why? Because you already belong to someone else? They can't be better than the King, can they?_ _Come on, dear..."_

There's a crunching noise, and the crowd gasps. Marx quickly ends the memory, and I open my watery eyes once more. 

_"So... the King really did try to feel her up?"_

_"She still hit him. She should have just ran away."_

_"Or been more assertive."_

Before the tables can be turned even farther against me, Julius cuts in. "As you can see, she acted purely in self defense. Furthermore, she's not guilty of any seduction or whatever. She's completely innocent of all the charges you leveled against her."

Augustus is beet red and suddenly stands up. "I see what you're doing here, Julius! You set this whole thing up to make me look bad, right?"

"No, sir, you do that job yourself."

"AAh! I swear- assault or no assault, she still hit me! And as king, I want her dead!"

Julius is actually glaring now, his usual happy demeanor completely gone. "Well, as Wizard King, I vouch for her."

Augustus looks like he's about to have an aneurysm. "GRRR! Julius, don't get in my damn way! We both know who's really in charge here, despite your silly games!!"

"Oh?" Julius smirks mirthlessly. "Then why don't you come down here and show me yourself."

Even my mouth falls open. _D-did Julius just THREATEN Augustus? Like... straight up threaten?_ I've never been in a room more tense than this one in the next four seconds as the challenge hangs silently in the air. Augustus finally opens his mouth to answer, but the Judge beats him to it.

"I'm sorry, Lord Julius. But the conviction is already complete." He holds up his stamped scroll with the charges. "Even if she's innocent, she can't be tried again. So..." He looks back down at me. "Choose your sentence so we can all go home. You get to live, after all."

All eyes are on me again, prompting me to answer quickly. However, the words are lodged somewhere between my lungs and my mouth. I'm glad that Julius is here, and that he and Marx came to help, but in the end it was too late. Julius's hand rubs my shoulder gently as he looks down at me. "I'm sorry... if I had just been a little quicker-"

"It's alright." He closes his mouth as I speak. "I... I already made up my mind, after all."

It takes him a moment to realize what I mean. "Huh? Wait, you can't possibly-"

"Julius." I finally look up at him, his eyes widening when he sees my own gaze filled with regret, guilt, fear, sadness. "I appreciate all of this... but I'm a lost cause. I don't think I'll ever make you happy."

He blinks once, twice, disbelief in his eyes. Then, despite everything that's happening, he smiles.

"...No. You make me happier than anything else." His hand squeezes my shoulder. "No matter what..."

I remember my vision. _Get out of my sight._

"If I had it my way, I would never take my eyes off of you."

That's all he needs to say, because I know. I know that he knows, somehow.

_If he knows... then why is he still here?_

_Because I just told you. No matter what, I love you._

I swallow my tears and look back up towards the judge. I know that the moment I open my mouth, my dream of becoming Captain and standing beside my friends will be gone forever. All that will be left is the shell of a girl who _used to be_ a magic knight. But Julius is standing beside me, despite that I stand in the way of his dream. So... I have to trust him. I have to put my trust back in fate.

"I choose to leave the Magic Knights."

"Finally." The Judge stamps the paper again. "By order of His Majesty Augustus Kira Clover the 13th, I hereby strip you of your rank and expel you from the Order of Magic Knights. The case is closed, and parliament adjourned." He claps his hands and the handcuffs disappear from my wrists. I rub them slightly as the crowd starts to stand up and dissipate, still mumbling to themselves. Marx, Julius and I stand still for a couple moments as reality starts to sink in.

_I'm... no longer a Magic Knight. No longer a Crimson Lion. Fuegoleon is no longer my Captain. I'm nothing._

This really couldn't get any worse.

But, at the same time... I feel like a burden is lifted from my shoulders. I look back up at Julius. He isn't smiling (I mean, how could he be after this whole debacle?), but his eyes shine with some emotion I can't place. "Come on, let's get you home."

_...home?_

I don't resist as he guides me out the way I was dragged in, now a free woman, but a woman without a direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time... Chapter 51: the shape of my life. MC has made her decision, but was it worth it? Fate is a fickle mistress, and sometimes you just have to trust her.


	52. the shape of my life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. don't worry this chapter is heart warming

I don't really pay attention to where we're walking. My vision is blurred by tears that I'm just barely holding back. In no way, shape, or form did I expect the last 75 hours or so to go as badly as they did. Not only did I get nearly assaulted, kidnapped, exploited, etc, but I also got tried for treason? And convicted?! And stripped of my rank as a magic knight?! What on earth am I supposed to do now! The dream that I held since I was 11 was now dashed into tiny little pieces, everyone's hopes and expectations of me in the same state. I would never stand beside Yami, William, Fuegoleon and the others as equals, and I would never be able to become captain.

_What the Hell is going to happen to me..._

I can't go home, either. My mother is there. Even though I now know that the reason for her anger was not me, it was my father, I still can't imagine looking her in the eye right now. 

And Julius... he's still here. That's right. I still have him, despite him knowing that I can never fulfill that one wish he confided in me about. 

_You make me happier than anything else._

Was that really true?

Suddenly, we stop walking, and I blink. The two of us are alone now, standing in the garden in the castle. We walked a very long way, but I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I didn't notice. Julius's hand slides off of my shoulders and he walks to the bench to sit down. His face is still neutral, and I can't believe that he's staying so calm through all of this. "Here... sit down."

I quickly obey, my eyes directing back to the ground. I don't even know what to say, or where to start.

"...I'm sorry for causing so much trouble."

"No, it's okay. It wasn't your fault."

"No, I mean-" I swallow thickly. "Since the beginning... I've been nothing but trouble. You helped me research my past, you defended me from Augustus, you came to save me from my uncle... and so much more. And now..." I squeeze my eyes shut, shame taking over. "H-How long did you know?"

I feel his hand on my knee, a small comfort that I appreciate. "Ever since the boat ride home... your grandma told me about it straight away."

My eyes pop open in shock. _Wait... so... even yesterday morning..._

 _"..._ was that why you cried?"

"...yes."

_He cried... because of me..._

_"_ I-I didn't mean to make you-"

My words are muffled by his chest as he suddenly grabs me into a tight hug. I want to pull away from his touch and protest, but I can't bring myself to do so. The tears start to streak down my cheeks once again as he holds me, holds me as if he never wants to let go. This man...

Finally, he pulls back, his hands coming up to cup my face and force me to look him in the eye. His gaze is like two purple pools of water ready to overflow, but he holds it together for my sake. "Yes, I cried. I was sad that the two of us would never be able to have children together. But that's okay, because it's a million times better than losing you. I told you that I wanted you by my side, and that's still the case. That will always be the case." My heart is thumping as he speaks, my vision clearing. "Your grandparents told me that a bit of your soul lives inside me now... that's kind of amazing, isn't it?" Despite everything, his eyes sparkle a bit. That sparkle... the one I fell in love with. "Everyday is something different with you... you're constantly surprising me. That's why I love you, you know?"

Miraculously, I manage to mirror the smile on his face. _Yes... he loves me. This man loves me. No matter what, even if the future isn't what we thought it would be, we have each other. We were born because the other was born. Maybe the Simulcians were right to believe in fate._ "...I know. I love you too, Julius."

"Good." Julius leans in, his lips pressing against mine, warmth blossoming from his touch. I let my eyes close, letting myself forget all the trouble that lays in front of us, even for just a moment.

"But-" He suddenly pulls back and glares at me. "You better not give up on yourself like that again, you hear me?"

"Oh... yeah, I won't." I suddenly pale as I remember what just happened. "Shit... but what am I going to do now?! I just got banished from the Magic Knights! Fuegoleon's going to be so disappointed... and all the others..." I cover my face again as more tears erupt. Julius stays collected and holds me as I break down once again, his hand stroking my hair in an attempt to comfort me.

"I know it's going to be hard... and it isn't fair, at all. I should have been there to protect you, I shouldn't have left you alone like that. Augustus's grudge against me ended up hurting you." His grip tightens at the thought. "I'm truly, truly sorry. As for what you're going to do... I promise I'm going to make it all up to you." He pulls back to look at me again. "There are other ways to serve this Kingdom. You have the respect of many of those in the upper ranks... even Nozel, it seems."

That's right, Nozel actually tried to defend me during the trial, which is sweet, I suppose. "... like what?"

Julius's eyes twinkle a bit. "You'll see... but it involves you living here with me. I hope you're okay with that?"

"...yeah..." I can't help but break into a grin. "Yeah, that sounds okay..."

"Good. I'll talk to you more about it later. In the meantime... I want to show you something cool." I watch with wide eyes as he holds out his hand, palm up. The next moment, a puff of blue fire appears around it. _That's... my fire!_ "See? I can use your magic! I'm still getting the hang of it, but it's super cool! I think it has something to do with what your grandparents mentioned, where a part of your soul remains inside of me. Those times that you've 'healed yourself' and that acceleration attack you did..." He grins boyishly. "That was _my_ magic! My soul inside your body... Can you try it?"

"I guess so..." I hold out my own hand and concentrate. Right on cue, my mark starts to glow, and a small blue globe appears in my palm. It's tiny and weak, but I recognize it instantly. Julius's eyes become as wide as asteroids at the sight of it. "T-that-t-t that's-"

"Chrono stasis..." I finish, astonished that I actually hold some of the _Wizard King's_ power. "You're right... this is amazing!"

We both giggle and keep trying it, a warm breeze blowing through the garden and rustling the flowers all around us.

* * *

Later that week, after helping the Simulcians get settled in Raque, I head to my old base to clean out my room. I'm alone as I fill the boxes up, melancholy filing me as I do so. For over a year, this place was my home... and now I was forced to leave it all behind. My life has been a series of endings and beginnings... but I'm very sad to see this part end. My time as a Crimson Lion King was fading into the past, giving way to an uncertain future.

It's midday when I start to leave. Most of the squad members are out on missions or errands. I don't see Horatio, Gareth, or Alana anywhere. Maybe that's for the best. It would be awkward to say goodbye in this way. However... there's still one person that I wish I could see.

"...hey."

Fuegoleon is hanging out at the gates of our base, as if he were waiting for me. He gives me a small smile as I approach. It's tense for a few moments before he clears his throat. "Do you need any help?"

I shake my head. "Thank you... I can manage this myself. I..." I bite my lip a little. "I left my cloak on my bed."

"Right..." His eyes darken a bit at the statement, the weight of it obvious to us both. 

I can't really take much more of this, so I give him a small smile before moving to walk past him. "Good bye-"

"Wait!" I pause as he turns around. "I... I have a message for you. From Yami Sukehiro and William Vangeance." I raise an eyebrow, a little worried about what this could be. However, Fuegoleon gives me a smile. "They say... they'll be waiting for you at the usual spot next week. For dinner, you know." My eyes widen as I realize what he's talking about. _Our tradition... "_ Yami says you might not get the discount anymore, though."

I let out a snort of laughter at that, relief filling my heart. At least some things won't change. "Thank you for the message."

"Oh, and another message, this time..." Fuegoleon looks away, blushing a little. "From me."

"...yes?"

After a moment of contemplation, he straightens up, a determined look on his face. "I was proud to be your captain. I was proud to call you my comrade... and I _am_ proud to say that I fought alongside an amazing magic knight. No matter what the King says, you'll always be a member of the Crimson Lion Kings."

... _that's right. There's nothing that can take away the time I spent here._

Before I go, I give my friend and Captain a hug.

"Thank you, Fuegoleon."

* * *

_Dear Lyra,_

_I'm sorry I haven't written in a while. I promise I read every one of your letters, but it was hard to answer. You probably heard about my falling out with Mom, er, well, the_ new _falling out with Mom. I don't know when I can bring myself to return home, so letters will have to do for now. I wish I could come see the new baby. Lewis? That's a very gentle name... I love it. Let me know if you get pregnant again, you rascal!_

_Anyway, things have been pretty crazy lately. I went on a long trip to train my magic, and came back really strong. Some other stuff happened, too. I even got accused and convicted of a crime I didn't commit! Isn't that crazy! It even lead to an unexpected career change..._

_What I'm trying to says, is... I am no longer a magic knight. That door was shut in my face with no warning. I still feel confused, lost, and not sure of what I'm supposed to do next. However, a new path opened, one that I've decided to explore._

_I'll keep you updated. Stay safe out there. Tell everyone that I love them and I'm thinking of them._

_P.S. oh yeah, you're probably wondering what my new job is..._

* * *

"Marx, Marx, look! I finally hired a new advisor to help you!"

Marx's eyes widen as he hears Julius's voice behind him in the hallway. _OH! FINALLY!_ With a smile on his face, he spins around to see... then freezes.

"Ta-Da!" Julius holds out his arms and "presents" me to Marx. I simply smile and wave at him cheerfully, wearing a new uniform and the cloak of a Royal Advisor. This is all a bit strange, but right now I'm willing to try it out. "Isn't this great!"

Marx blinks once, then twice, then a third time before responding. "Oh... it's you..." _This is great and all... but I have a feeling I'm going to have to deal with both of them!_

"Since I got kicked out of the Magic Knights, Julius suggested that I move in and start working as an advisor," I explain as Julius circles me like an excited puppy. "I was already familiar with everything, so it seemed like the natural thing to do."

Marx nods along, finally warming up to the idea. "I see... well." He smiles brightly. "I'm glad to hear it! You'll be easy to work with, since we get along!"

"That's exactly what I thought! She's basically a cuter version of you, anyway," Julius teases, coming to a stop behind me, obviously admiring the short skirt of my dress. "And this uniform... wowie!" Without any hesitation, Julius smacks me in the ass, causing me to yelp and jump out of my skin. This time, both Marx and I yell at him.

"JULIUS!!!"

Julius cackles like the madman he is and takes my hand. "Come on, we have some work to do," he tells me before waving goodbye to Marx.

Marx waves back and watches as we run off around the corner, then lets out a heavy sigh. "Dear God... give me the strength to endure this." Julius was enough to handle as he is. Julius plus girlfriend is harder. Julius plus girlfriend wearing a miniskirt is the hardest.

Even so, the short, blue-haired man can't help but smile to himself. For once, he would have help, he had no doubt about that. He was worried about me after the trial, but seeing that smile on my face brought him joy.

_I'm glad that, in the end, this worked out._

"You really can't embarass me like that in front of Marx!" I tell Julius as we walk, rubbing my sore backside. He just hums distractedly like he always does. "Julius, are you listening to me?!"

"Huh? What, you want me to do it again?" He grins as I start scolding him again. "I'm joking, don't worry. I'll _try_ and stop myself."

I blush a bit and cross my arms across my chest. "Jeez... if you weren't so handsome..."

Julius raises an eyebrow. "Oh? You think so?" Despite his teasing I can't help but giggle along with him.

"Oh! It's you!"

We both stop and turn to see a familiar little silver-haired girl staring at us. "Noelle!" I exclaim, happy to see her. 

Noelle's eyes are wide as she takes in my appearance. "That robe..."

"That's right... I got a new job here in the castle." I smile and crouch down to her level as we talk. "I'll be living here for now on... is that okay with you?"

After a moment, Noelle grins and nods wildly. With a giggle, she runs into my arms for a hug. It takes me a little by surprise, but I shake it off quickly and hug back. 

"Hey! Since you're here..." We both look up to see Julius beaming down at the two of us. "Would you like to see the view from my office? It's at the top of the tower!"

Noelle's face lights up. "Really?"

"Of course! Come on!"

Julius takes her hand, then takes mine. The three of us walk off down the hallway, towards the staircase to the office of the Wizard King.

Despite everything that's happened, despite the mark on my head, despite the twists and turns, everything was going to be alright for now. I have many great friends, a new interesting job, and a man that I love more than anything else in the world. The shape of my life may have changed drastically since I first dreamed of becoming a Magic Knight, but I'm ready to embrace whatever fate has to throw at me next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY. I made it through the first half of the story. I hope this chapter wrapped everything up nicely and ended on a positive note! 
> 
> Thank you guys for reading so far, your comments keep me inspired to write! I'm probably going to take a few days off in order to decompress and plan stuff out, but stay tuned! A 6 year time skip is approaching, and I'm sure you're all eager to see how MCs life has developed. New friends and new enemies... but one thing hasn't changed: Julius is still a crackhead.


	53. the new dawn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Welcome back! I ended up writing a 4 chapter fic in the break I took from this lol feel free to check it out
> 
> 2\. Thanks again for reading so far, I'm super excited to get into the rest of the story here! I never thought I would get this far and it's all because of your support.

About a month later, my grandparents died in their sleep. They were both over 160 years old and hadn't aged since their 60s, but without the constant mana of their Dyad, their bodies eventually gave up. I was told it was a peaceful death, and they were found clutched in each other's arms, smiles on their faces. Were their souls so intimately linked, that they died at the same exact time? Is that how my life would end?

Just like they told me, I started to change as well. My hunger continued to dwindle until it completely disappeared. My need for water and sleep did the same. My period never came back, just as my grandma told me. And of course... for the next six years, there was no change in my body or face that showed that I was aging. All of this was a result of the short amount of time I spent synchronized, in both the Dyad and the Septad. Luckily, Julius and the others didn't seem to have the same problems. Simulcians and the Clover Kingdom humans were genetically removed enough that the same morphological changes didn't happen. I'm glad... Yami, Fuegoleon, Marx, and Horatio would live normal lives. Julius would have, too, if he hadn't decided to stick with me.

The insecurity never completely went away, but it faded into just a bad memory. It was hard to feel bad about myself when Julius was constantly around. And when I say constantly, I mean... _constantly._ Since I was kicked out of the Magic Knights and given a new job as his advisor, I have been by his side through thick and thin. We work together, eat together, travel together, wake up every morning together, and fall asleep together. I did, in fact, leave for a few solo training trips to further my magic skills, but that's the longest that we're ever apart. It's good to give each other space, but for some reason neither of us is bothered by the constant company. Maybe it just feels right, after all we went through.

As for the others, a lot has changed. A few years later, Yami and William were awarded their own squads. Nozel was furious, since his father had yet to step down from the Silver Eagles. William created a squad called the Golden Dawn. He was very shrewd and picky when it came to selecting members, but a few weeks after the squad's creation, it was obvious that they were destined for great things. Never before had I seen such a powerful, cooperative, and effective group of people... it wasn't an understatement to call them a _force of nature._ It wasn't long before rumors began to spread: William Vangeance could very well be poised to take over the position of Wizard King.

Yami, on the other hand... he created a squad called the Black Bulls. Julius told me about his thought process: _"It's a squad of misfits, Yami said... he wants to create a home for people who were given up on by others. That sounds nice... I just hope he can whip them into shape."_

Well... that was easier said than done. I went to check on them recently, as part of my job. They are... an interesting group. He really meant it when he said he wanted to create a squad of misfits. But hey, they were more fun than the Golden Dawn! I didn't get blackout drunk when I visited the Golden Dawn, at least...

Anyway, my job is pretty great, even though I was technically expelled from the Magic Knights with disgrace and everything. I basically just assist Julius and Marx in whatever needs to get done. I tend to focus on Magic Knights related things, such as Stars, promotions, member dossiers, evaluations, etc. I've also inevitably become Julius's personal assistant and confidant... I know almost every secret there is to know, which is kind of a heavy weight on my shoulders, but Julius assures me that it's fine. I understand him better than anyone, who better to confide in these types of things? 

Unrelated... but I've also become very well-acquainted with the surface of his desk. And the area under his desk. And the couch. And every broom closet in the castle. And-

ANYWAY, it's been six years. This life is normal, and I suspected that it would remain normal for the rest of my life. Life with Julius is, well... perfect. It's everything I ever wanted. If I ignore the fact that I can never bear him children, and that I'll never be able to be a magic knight again, things are great... If nothing else, I feel loved.

About a month before my 26th birthday, the Diamond Kingdom attempted yet another invasion. This time, they were serious, and much better prepared. Luckily they went through the town of Kiten first, instead of my hometown to the North. Still, they gained a valuable foothold and prepared to make a rush to the capital. We didn't have much time to mobilize, and really didn't have a plan of attack. But we attacked... and Julius lead the magic knights into the most important battle of his term so far. I was lucky enough to fight beside him, and all the other Magic Knights; people who were old friends, and people who became new friends. Fortunately, we emerged victorious. The Capital roared with celebration as we arrived back, showering Julius and the others with praise. Everyone wanted to be a magic knight now, and everyone wanted to become the Wizard King. They would be telling stories about his spell for years to come... _Instant White Hell._

Of course, there's more to that story, but it's not like it changed anything. After the invasion, Julius and I petitioned the King to restore my rank and status as a magic knight, even if it was just ceremonial at this point. I was happy in my position, and there was no desire to leave Julius's side ever again. However, this was about my pride. As long as that blotch existed on my record, I couldn't sleep at night (metaphorically... I usually didn't sleep anyway). But Augustus rejected the petition, as usual. Life would remain normal. At least, it would for a couple more months. Today, however...

_September 21st._

"Happy Birthday!!!"

I pause and turn around to see a familiar man sprinting towards me at full speed, surprisingly agile and bright for this hour of the morning. I got out of bed early this morning to go for a stroll around the castle, but, as usual, Julius managed to pinpoint my location within minutes of waking. I smile and brace myself for impact, which comes a moment later. "Julius! Calm down, I'm an old lady now, you know!"

He laughs and straightens up after the crushing hug to look down at me. "Very funny... we both know that I'm the old man here." It's true... the past 6 years are showing on Julius's face, even though he still looks much younger than his true age of 41. 41! I can't believe I'm in a relationship with a 41 year old man now... however, his youthful spirit is still there, and he still acts the same as always. "Come on, let's go find Marx. He can tell the cooks what to make for dinner tonight."

Even though I technically don't need to eat anymore, I taught myself to stomach it. The food still passes through my system the same as always, but the energy isn't needed. I have had frequent visits with Owen and other doctors to learn exactly why I don't seem to operate the same way as normal humans. Apparently, the short amount of time I spent in a Dyad was enough to constantly circulate mana through my cells and veins, manifesting the energy and other necessities for my life. It's very strange, and Julius is (of course) enamored with the whole thing... but there's not anything I can really do about it. At least I can still savor the taste.

"Marx! Marx! Good morning!"

Marx turns around when he hears the two voices in unison. _Uh oh._ It's us, running towards him with smiles on our faces. _It's too early for this._ "Good morning...oh!" His faces lights up. "It's your birthday, isn't it?"

I nod eagerly. "Yep... I'm twenty six today. Just yesterday, I feel like I was 20, ahah!"

 _...You still look 20,_ Marx thinks to himself. "So, ah, I assume you want me to plan something for dinner?"

"Yeah!" I think about it for a moment. "Maybe... for meat, something roasted?"

"Roasted Turkey?" Julius suggests.

"Ooh, perfect! You know me so well."

"Or course I do."

"And then, maybe those small tomatoes? In a salad?"

"A salad? Wouldn't you rather have mashed potatoes or something?"

"Julius, I have a figure to maintain, you know."

"Right, right, sorry. You know I don't care about that, though-"

"Yeah yea. Still." 

"Good point."

"Thanks. You get it, at least."

Marx blinks, trying to keep up with our quickly-derailing conversation. This happens quite a bit... the two of us start talking in a way that hardly anyone else can keep up with. We understand each other, though. "I think I got it... anything for dessert?"

Our eyes light up. "Chocolate-covered strawberry cake!" we say at the same time.

"Alright..." Marx writes it down before looking back up at us with a smile. "That'll be ready for tonight. And..." he lets out a heavy sigh. "I suppose you can take the day off. But YOU don't!" He points at Julius. "Don't worry, though, I adjusted your work schedule so you can finish today's work quickly."

Julius grins and gives Marx a thumbs up. "Thanks! I'll try and get it done early, then." He wraps an arm around my shoulder. "I want to spend as much time as possible celebrating you~"

I raise an eyebrow, giggling a little when Marx groans, quickly turning to leave. 

It's not long before we run into another familiar face, even though it's much less welcome.

"King Augustus! How nice to see you this morning!"

 _Oh no, it's these two,_ Augustus thinks to himself as we round the corner and walk towards him. The two of us have smiles on our faces, concealing our true feelings for the man. Even though I'm now under Julius's care, and out of Augustus's reach... I'll never forgive him for the humiliation I had to go through 6 years ago. "Ah, good morning, Julius..." He narrows his eyes at me. "What has you two in such a good mood this morning?"

"Oh! It's her birthday today!" Julius tells him happily, patting my shoulder. "Isn't that great?"

Augustus sniffs a few times. "...yes. Happy birthday." He eyes the two of us one last time before heading off to his chamber. The three of us have been in a "cease fire" of sorts, since we all work together.. but things will always be awkward. 

And so, the day goes on almost like any other. Julius does his work, we wander the castle, and eventually meet up with Noelle for a little while. She's almost 15 now, and will be receiving her grimoire soon. _And then... she'll finally have the chance to forge her own path and get away from her family._ I know Nozel, Nebra, and Solid remind her every day of their mother's death. However, Noelle never mentions it to us. 

Dinner comes and goes. Julius and I enjoy a bottle of wine up in our room. He gives me a very... _passionate_ birthday present. We lay in bed afterwards, and he holds a book up so we can both read it. Our eyes move through each line at the same time.

"Julius..." I finally say, causing him to stop reading and look down at me curiously. "You know... my mother was 26 when she gave birth to me."

"Is that so?" He slowly closes the book and sets it down on the bedside table. "Sounds about right..."

I haven't talked to my mother in over 6 years at this point. Lyra and Portia come to visit every now and then, though. My life back in my hometown seems like it was centuries ago at this point. "Yeah... it just got me thinking..." I avert my eyes a little, a stab of shame hitting me all of the sudden. "At this point... I feel like I have things figured out, you know? I'm growing older, believe it or not-" he snorts a bit with laughter at that. "-and... well... what I'm trying to say is that I'm ready to be a mother. _Actually_ ready." 

Julius's eyes widen a little at my words.

"I mean, I know I can't actually mother any children now, but you still deserve to have that family you dreamed about, Julius. I'm ready to start building it with you."

"...you really mean that?" Julius is smiling, but he still looks a little worried. He was scared to push the idea of having a family on me all those years ago, and still seems to want to treat the matter delicately.

I nod eagerly and finally sit up, a hand coming up to touch his face. "I do... I really do mean it." I can't help but feel a little excited myself. "We can adopt a child, or two-"

"Or three?" Julius grins mischievously, which makes me laugh.

"We'll see... but I want it to be how you imagined. Our children will laugh, run, and play around the castle. And I'll be there by your side."

Julius doesn't even say anything in response. He just leans in to kiss me for what has to be the thousandth time that day, arms pulling me into his strong chest. I let my eyes close and hold onto him. His excitement is palpable, and it's the best birthday present I could have possibly gotten.

"But, of course-" Julius suddenly pulls back and starts talking. "It'll be a bit complicated... adopted or not, a man in my position..." He laughs nervously. "If I have children... I'll be expected to be married."

_Married._

_..._

"J-Julius, are you saying-" The words catch in my throat as I open my eyes to find him gazing down at me lovingly. "You... you..."

Suddenly, I frown, which surprises him. "That better not be your proposal!"

"Ah! Don't worry, don't worry, I'll give you a proper one," he assures me, laughing a bit at my "outrage." "Anyway, I'm glad you're ready... I've been ready for... um... how many years?" I swat his chest playfully which just strokes his ego. "In a few months, we'll be entering the busiest time of the year..." He's right, the month before and after the knights exam is super busy for us. "-but after that, I promise..." He smiles, his eyes twinkling in the way I love. "We'll get married, and then start our family."

Julius kisses me once more before turning off the light. I lay there awake as he drifts off to sleep, his breathing slowly giving way to a soft snore. It's a comforting sound, something I've gotten used to. It's almost hypnotic... which is good, because I basically have to hypnotize myself anytime I want to "sleep." Even though my body doesn't need it anymore, it's boring to stay away all night. I imagine a pair of vultures far in the sky above me, circling lazily and crossing paths once in the middle of a figure eight.

_100... 99... 98..._

I start to count backwards, in time with the vultures and the snoring.

_97... 96... 95..._

My mind finally goes blank, all thoughts of Julius, children, marriage, and the magic knights exam fade from existence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time... Chapter 54: the anti-magic boy. It's time for this year's magic knight exam. There are some promising (and strange) additions this year... but the day ends in a way no one expected, especially not MC.


	54. the anti-magic boy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. my son has arrived. 
> 
> 2\. you thought the angst was over? The angst is never over.

"Marx! Marx?"

It's 10 am in the morning, and I have to get ready to go. My shoes are shiny, my cloak was just cleaned, and my cape is clear of any wrinkles. My uniform looks extra spiffy today, as well. My ears are adorned with a pair of gold earrings in the shape of a three-leaved clover, courtesy of Julius on my birthday. Today's an important day, and I really need to get going, but I have to see someone before I go. "Marx!"

"I'm right here!" The harried man runs around the corner. "Aren't you supposed to be leaving now? The exam starts in an hour."

"I know," I tell him, looking around. "I wanted to say hi to Julius before I left... I got up early again and he wasn't around for breakfast. The exam is going to last until dinnertime, too."

Marx frowns, but then groans. "I know... he probably went out in disguise to bother people in town..." He rubs his face wearily. "That man... even with both of us putting a leash on him, he just does whatever he wants. And he has so much work to do, too! He better be back before the exam starts, if he makes an appearance everyone's going to go crazy."

The thought makes me giggle a little. Julius was always wandering off in his various disguises to check out magic. Today, a bunch of new examinees from outside the capital would be arriving, so he was probably way too excited to resist. What a nerd... well, an adorable nerd. Even so, I'm a bit disappointed that I can't say goodbye, but I'll see him at dinner anyway. I might even run into him in town, if I'm lucky; I can see through a few of his disguises, but there's still a few that I have yet to recognize. "Aw, well, I'm sure he'll come back, he knows you'll be mad at him if he doesn't," I assure Marx, turning to leave. "Well, see you later!"

"See you!"

* * *

"Ughhh, I'm so hungry... all the food around here is so expensive..."

"We don't have time to eat, the Exam is starting soon."

The town was filled with young men and women from all around the kingdom, all wandering towards the exam arena near the outskirts of the noble realm. Everyone was nervously excited for the exam, which would take place in less than an hour. The air was alive with their hopes, dreams, and determination... among all the hustle and bustle, the two fifteen year-old boys blended in with all the others.

"Come and get your Grilled Purple Snakes! Only 2 yuls! Freshly caught..."

The sound of the vendor's voice made one of the boys pause, and he turned to look for the source. The grey-haired boy's green eyes fell onto the old lady sitting at the opening of an alley, a basket of skewered snakes resting in front of her. The sight made his mouth water. "Only two yuls! Yum!" He left his friend's side to run over to the lady. "I'll take one! Please!" He pulled two yuls out of his pocket and quickly received one of the kebabs. "Mmmm... thank you very much, granny!"

"My pleasure." The old woman chuckled and put the money in her bag. "Young man... are you by any chance taking the Magic Knights exam today?"

"I sure am!" The boy took a bite and kept talking. "I'm going to become a magic knight today... and then-"

"Asta!! Where did you go?!"

Asta paused and looked back at the street. "Oops! I gotta go. Seeya, granny!" With that, the boy waved and ran back off into the crowd.

The "old lady" watched him go, chuckling to "herself." "Interesting... he seems like an eager fellow. I wish I could watch, but Marx is going to kill me if I stay out after lunch." Still, something was strange about that kid. His grimoire was strange... Julius didn't feel any mana coming off of it. Interesting, indeed.

* * *

"Attention! The Captains of the Magic Knights Squads are arriving!"

All the examinees turned to watch as the nine captains walked out onto the balcony overlooking the exam area. Everyone ooohed and aahed at the sight. These were the judges, the men and women who would decide their future and fate. Would they be accepted into a squad? Or turned away?

"Jeez... I hope this doesn't take as long as last year," Yami said to himself, sitting down heavily in his chair. The man hadn't changed much over the years, except he got bigger and grew more stubble. His nicotine addiction was worse than ever, though.

"Come on, Yami, lighten up. This is going to be fun!"

Yami nearly jumps out of the skin at the sound of the voice, quickly looking back and squinting his eyes. "Oh, jesus, you're here?"

I grin down at him from where I decided to sit, right in the row above and behind the captains. I don't want to be the center of attention here, but I still want a good view. And a good spot to bother Yami. "Of course I am! This is part of my job, you know?"

The two men next to Yami turn around as well. "Oh!! Hello there! You're Yami's friend, right? Do you remember me!!?" The younger man with brown hair and _way_ too much energy immediately begins talking to me.

"Yeah, you're Finral, right?" I respond, a little weary. He's given me a rose ever since the first time we met, but I have a feeling I'm not the only girl to receive his affection. The fact that he hasn't stopped proves that Yami has yet to tell him that I have a boyfriend... and _who_ that boyfriend is. "Make sure Yami doesn't get too bored, alright?"

I hear a chuckle, and look over to see Fuegoleon sitting a few seats away, a smile on his face. He hasn't changed much either, other than the fact that his hair has grown out quite a bit. Farther down is Nozel, and Charlotte, who's now the Captain of the Blue Roses. Then Jack, the Mantis Captain, Dorothy, the Coral Peacock captain, and Gueldre, the Purple Orca captain. Then there's Rill, who's only 19 years old. The truth is, he was the only real candidate for captain at the time of the vacancy. Upon being placed in the position, he changed the name "Grey Deer" to the "Aqua Deer." I'm not sure how Julius feels about that, since it's his old squad and all, but it's not like we can force RIll to change it.

And of course, William's here, sitting in the middle. His presence sends the examinees into a flurry of whispers.

"Rumor has it that he's next in line to become the Wizard King," one particularly pretentious boy tells Asta.

"Oooh..." Asta said to himself. _So... he's one of the people I'm going to have to surpass?_ His green eyes swept over the rest of the captains, before landing back on Yami. "Bah-Ha- I mean, Sekke, who's that woman near the Black Bulls Captain? She's not a captain, is she?" Sekke was fairly knowledgeable about all the various captains and officials, so he probably knew the answer.

Sekke squints to see who he's talking about, then his eyes widen. "Oh! I can't believe it! She's actually here!"

Asta blinked, confused. "Who is she?"

"She's works in the castle as one of the Wizard King's advisors, and is probably one of the closest people to him. There's not much known about her, but there's lots of rumors..." Sekke clasps his hands together. "Isn't she beautiful!!?"

"The closest to the Wizard King... she must be pretty powerful." Asta said. "She's not as beautiful as Sister Lily, though. What's that thing on her head?"

"That mark?' Sekke suddenly lowers his voice. "No one knows... but there's a rumor that it's forbidden magic."

It wasn't long before each person received a broom and was instructed to start flying. "Oooh, look at them go," I say to no one in particular, leaning on the banister a bit as the kids zoom around. I can't help but remember my (first) exam. Horatio was there, zipping around like he owned the place. _He had such a good exam, it's hard to believe that he actually ended up getting kicked out of the Silver Eagles... well, at least he managed to rejoin!_ I can't help but laugh at my own expense sometimes. One of the kids, a sulking dark-haired boy, is standing up as if he's surfing. _He reminds me of Horatio a bit... he isn't gloating, though._

"What's wrong with that one?"

We all look down to see one of the examinees straining and yelling, trying to get off of the ground. However, nothing comes of his efforts. "He can't even fly on a broom? What's he doing here?" Fuegoleon said, rubbing his chin. William just narrowed his eyes a little.

"Hey, Yami, isn't that the kid you were terrorizing earlier?" Finral asks. Yami just grunts in response.

The next few tests go by uneventfully. Many of the examinees keep doing alright, but that same boy, the one with grey hair and a headband, fails to give off even an ounce of mana. It's kind of bizarre... he makes up for the lack of magic with screaming, I have to admit. _Is he just really bad? Or just messing around? Or... does he really not have any magic?_ Something about him is vaguely familiar, but I don't have time to ponder it before the one-on-one battles begin.

 _Remember... I did this with William, all those years ago. Back then, I thought he was just some weird kid with a mask._ My gaze drifts over to the back of the man's feathered head. _He proved me very wrong!_

To my surprise, the loud boy is up first, walking over to his side of the ring after a short chat with his opponent. I get an idea and lean down to whisper to Yami. "Hey! You know that loud kid down there?"

"Yeah? How could I not notice him, he's like a siren," Yami shoots back up.

"If he wins, you owe me 100 yuls!"

"What?!" Yami turns around fully to glare at me. "No! You don't need any money, anyway, since you got your sugar daddy."

"Haha, sugar daddy?" Finral asks, looking confused.

"Fine, fine. I was probably going to lose anyway," I admit.

Yami surprises me with a smile as he turns back to face the exam. "I'm not so sure about that..."

One second into the exam, and the boy's Grimoire flips open. He reaches inside and pulls out a huge, black sword that looks like it's made out of obsidian. With a vengeful yell, he sprints towards his opponent, who's set up a magical barrier around himself. With just one, powerful swing, the sword cuts right through the magic and hits the guy into the ground so hard that it cracks. Once the dust settles, it's clear who the winner is.

My eyes are practically the size of dinner plates by now, as are everyone's in the audience. _Did he just... cut through the magic?! How is that possible? He erased it? That's like..._

"Anti-Magic," Yami mutters under his breath.

The rest of the exam drags on. The only other examinee of note is that gloomy dark-haired kid, who shows off some pretty powerful wind magic. He even manages to defeat a noble, something peasants rarely accomplish. I furiously write down any details in my notebook as everything wraps up, then set it down as the announcer speaks up. "When your number is called, please step forward. If you are not chosen, please leave."

 _I remember this part..._ I think wistfully as numbers start to be called. _That was so nervewracking! I didn't get any offers my first year... that was before the weird stuff started to happen._ Unintentionally, I reach up and trace my fingers over my mark. It's been a while since I had to use those powers, which might be a good thing. _A lot of kids are going to have their dreams broken today..._

Many of the exanimees get no offers at all. Jack picks up the pretentious boy who lost to the loud boy. Fuegoleon picks up one as well. Finally, that wind-magic kid steps forward. To everyone's surprise, every single captain raises their hands. Even I'm floored. _My year, even Horatio didn't get everyone. Julius passed on him!_ But this kid... everyone wants him.

"I will join the Golden Dawn."

William smiles, satisfied, giving the kid a little nod. Nozel looks the most disappointed, but what did he expect?

Next, my friend the little loud boy steps forward, looking very nervous. His eyes dart from captain to captain, but, to no one's surprise but mine, no one raises their hands. I frown down at Yami, who's staring down at the kid. Yami almost looked impressed before, did he change his mind?

"Come on, go home!"

"I'm next, hurry up!"

The poor kid looks frozen, upset about the decision. I can't help but feel for him. The same thing happened to me long ago, after all...

"Don't you get it? No one wants to take in a kid with powers they don't understand." Suddenly, Yami stands up, his oppressive presence taking over the whole stadium. Without hesitation, the man leaps down into the pit to confront the kid. Even though I can't tell what's being said, I can't help but smile to myself.

_Yami... you're such a drama queen._

Just as I expected, the oppression dies down and Yami laughs. "You're hilarious! Join my squad!"

The sun has set by the time the process is over and all the examinees have been chosen. Each captain meets up with their new members to escort them to their new homes. "Believe it or not, you're not the only one I have this year," William explains to his new boy. "There's a girl from the Royal Family that I accepted a few days ago. She's your age, so I hope you two get along-"

"That's Mimosa, right? Oh, and hello!"

William lets out a sigh through his nose before turning around to see me approaching him with a smile on my face. "Good evening... and yes, Mimosa will be joining my squad." That makes sense. A lot of the Royal kids get to pick which squad they join... except Noelle, who was given to the Black Bulls by Nozel. "Yuno, this is one of my old friends. She works as an advisor in the castle now, and as part of Magic Knights HQ."

I smile brightly and wave. "Nice to meet you, Yuno! That was some crazy wind magic out there... who knew that the air could be so deadly? Haha!"

Yuno blinks. _She's... bubbly._ "Thank you," he says simply.

William smiles as I wave goodbye. "I'll see you... soon?"

"Of course!" I answer before turning and walking off to my next victim. His eyes linger on me for a moment, a flash of guilt passing through them before he turns back to Yuno.

"Yami!! Where'd that loud kid go? I thought you guys were taking him home?"

"Tch. He went to take a shit," Yami responds, chewing on his cigarette.

"Oh! It's you again! You came back for me!" Finral warbles, reaching into a small portal. He pulls out a red rose. "For you, madame~"

"Ah, thank you," I answer awkwardly, taking the rose and sticking it in my pocket. "It'll look great with the other 30..."

The tall, pale man with black eyeliner (I think his name is Gordon? I'm not sure...) mumbles something to me that I don't quite hear. I smile at him anyway. "Ah, that's too bad, though, he seemed... interesting." I shrug. "Oh well, I guess I'll see him again soon enough. See you, Yami!"

"See ya, Forehead Mark Girl."

The streets I take home are pretty quiet for this time of night, probably because the excitement earlier drained everyone's energy. I still feel fairly chipper, but that's probably just because I now get to go home and see Julius. As I walk, I pull out my notebook and start flipping through the notes I made. I know Julius will be frustrated that he couldn't come today, so the best I can do is write everything down so we can have an exciting conversation about it later.

_Wind Magic... Copper Magic... Lightning Magic... And Anti-Magic! Julius is going to love to hear about that! William's kid was named Yuno, but what was Yami's called? Ooh, I should have stuck around longer to ask, but I'm sure I'll get to meet him properly sometime-_

Several things hit me at once. I don't have time to even gasp, as my breath is knocked out of my lungs and my vision goes white. 

My knees wobble, and the notebook slips out of my hand.

_..._

_huh?_

That attack, it came from all sides. I didn't even notice that I was surrounded. But what hit me? It hurts, and I'm bleeding, but I can't sense mana anywhere? No mana from the attack, no mana form my attackers... it came out of no where?

_But that's not possible... then how did..._

I'm still standing, but not for long. Another volley hits me, from all sides. It's probably just simple magic blasts, but I have no way to shield from them. I have no idea where they're coming from. With a strangled, inaudible cry, I finally wobble and topple to the ground hard. 

_No... no! I can't die! Is this an assassination? Or a kidnapping? I've gone six years without being kidnapped, it would be lame for it to happen now!_

Something is vibrating in the ground. Footsteps?

_Come on... fight! I have to get out of this-_

There's hands grabbing me now. I can vaguely hear a voice as I lose consciousness.

_"That was easy... make her transparent, too. We can't use our spatial magic within the city."_

_...who is that?_

I weakly struggle, but there's nothing more I can do.

_Julius... I have to tell him about the exam! I can't die, I can't get taken,_

_I can't-_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no! What's going to happen next? Find out in Chapter 55: the wizard king watched. How can someone just vanish off the face of the earth?


	55. the wizard king watched

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. sorry guys this is kind of a sad chapter oops
> 
> 2\. If you need something to hype you up, there's a fight coming up soon that I think you'll like. 0.0

**_a few days later_ **

"The area had signs of magic blasts, but no one noticed a commotion that night. Apparently the last people to see her were William Vangeance and Yami Sukehiro, before they left the exam venue. They said that she was alone without any escorts, and headed off towards the castle through a quiet part of town. We did find this:" The Royal guard who had been leading the investigation placed the object on the desk. Marx looked over Julius's shoulder and saw that it was a notebook. Some of the pages were stained...

"Dr. Owen confirmed that this was her blood."

Julius picked up the notebook and held it in his hand, staring down at it blankly for a few silent moments. "...I gave this to her, last Three-Leaf day. I could have confirmed it was hers myself."

The guard gulped and exchanged a glance with his colleagues. Julius's voice was... unnervingly quiet. Marx was used to it by now, since Julius had been like this since she didn't come home that night. She was a free-spirited girl who did whatever she wanted, usually, but it was strange when she missed dinner after not seeing Julius all day. Julius assumed that something came up, although he didn't know what it could be. He went to bed that night expecting her to be next to him in the morning. She was not.

Julius alerted the guards and they went out searching for her. Julius even went and scoured the streets himself in disguise, but nothing came up. Not until today, when they stumbled upon the street where she had been attacked.

"So... this is it? This is all you've found so far?" Julius finally tore his eyes away from the book to look at the guards.

Slowly, they nodded. "We'll keep looking if you wish, Wizard King."

"Yes, please do." Julius sighed and set the book back down on the desk. "Get on that right now... Put up some posters and offer a reward for information, too. I want answers, alright?"

"Yes, sir."

The door closed, and Marx finally turned to look at Julius. "Is she-"

"No, she's not dead." Julius cut him off, finally sitting down in his chair heavily. He could practically feel his bones creak... this was the oldest he'd felt in a while. "I don't know where she is, but she's alive..." His hand came up and traced over the skin on his forehead, right next to his Swallowtail mark. "If something hurt her, I would have felt it... I know I would."

Marx gulped nervously. As silly as Julius could be, this seriousness was a bit scary. "I see... I'm sure they'll find a lead soon. For now..." he sighed and placed some papers in front of Julius. "You still have a job to do."

"...right." Julius picked up his pen and got to work. With just one more glance back at the man, Marx turned and walked out of the room, his hands shaking slightly under his robe.

_If she's not dead, then where is she? How can someone just vanish off the face of the earth? And there was blood, too... she'd better be alive! If not... Julius is going to be even harder to manage without her._

* * *

"You finally got a chance to come."

A pale man with long, braided blonde hair and flowing white robes walked into the dark room. The others parted for him, giving him a path. Even though it was dark, this man seemed to glow slightly from within. "I'm sorry, I was delayed... I wanted to come immediately, but I had other... duties to attend to for the last few days," he said, coming to a stop in front of a small group of people. "The operation went smoothly, I take it?"

"Yes, Licht," a pale, skinny man bowed his head slightly. "Thanks to the help of the Purple Orca's captain, we were able to ambush her and escape the Capital unseen."

"That's right, how did you even manage to get that swine onboard?" Licht turned his head to look at the speaker, a ratty looking man with a bandanna over one of his eyes.

"Swine? That's right, the Purple Orcas were your former squad, correct?"

Rades scowled. "Yeah... I didn't think that captain would turn traitor so easily."

Licht chuckled to himself. "It was quite easy... based on the intel we got from you, I sent a messenger to tell Mr. Poizot that his shady business dealings had been discovered by someone in the Castle. We offered our help in disposing of her, as long as he assisted us with his magic. I'm sure he feels a little guilty, but not guilty enough to keep him from agreeing. Now," Licht turned away to look at the head of the room. Four mages were gathered around a table, hands outspread as they cast a joint sleeping spell down onto an unconscious woman. "She's been asleep ever since you captured her, correct?"

"Yep! Although, she came pretty close to waking up a few times." The person who spoke now was a girl with glasses and shaggy black hair. "Her mana recharges faster than anyone's I've ever seen! It kept building and building in that thing on her head." She pointed at the forehead of the sleeping girl, which had a strange mark resembling the symbol for infinity. Licht's eyes narrowed slightly. "We had to put her in one of those new devices I've been working on, the ones that suck out mana. She's really quite useful, since she can't run out of it, we filled up a few-"

"I see. Good work," Licht cut her off, not sure how he felt about this girl being used as a battery. He smiled and turned back to the group. "You can all leave us... all but you three."

Everyone trailed out of the room, closing the door behind them. Licht sighed before turning to the remaining three people: A large hairy man, a small, pink haired girl, and a guy who looked like he'd rather be asleep right now. "Vetto, Fana, Raia... didn't I tell you it was her?" Licht smiled and gestured down at the woman.

"...you were right. There's no doubt about it." Fana walked next to the table, looking down at the girl blankly. "She's almost identical."

"Indeed, but what's that mark?" Vetto pointed at her forehead. "Some human magic that we haven't heard of yet?"

"Probably. Are you going to resurrect her, or not?" Raia asked, fighting back a yawn. "It's getting boring with just you and the three of us."

Licht stared down at the woman, thinking carefully. "There's a good chance that the Evil Eye spell won't work a fourth time," he admitted. "Even with the magic stones we have, and the sacrifice of this woman's soul, it may be too much for my body."

"What, so we just hold onto her until we gather all the stones?" Vetto asked.

"Unfortunately, that may be the case. But still, I want to try." Licht smiled a little, feeling a pang of... guilt somewhere within him.

_William... this woman is a dear friend of yours, isn't she? I'm truly sorry that she has to die... but you understand, right? She needs to die, so my dear friend can come back to me._

He raised his hands. "Reincarnation Magic: Evil Eye."

Her body started to glow, mana concentrating above her eyes, right on top of the mark that was already there. Licht expected it to disappear once he opened the eye. _Just a little longer... then her soul can sleep..._ His lips curled into a smile. _You'll die peacefully, I'm sure William would want it that way. Then, Saida... your soul can return. We're waiting for you. Come back to your friends._

A slit appeared on the girl's forehead, bisecting the mark. "It's working!" Vetto said excitedly. "I knew you had one more in you, Licht."

Licht smiled, concentrating. _As soon as the eye opens, it'll be over..._

The slit looked like it was about to split, but then something strange happened. Her mark started to glow, but she didn't move. It was as if something unconscious within her was resisting the forbidden spell. Licht frowned, feeling a distinct presence emanating from her body. It was... another soul.

_Saida? Is that you?_

_No._

Licht couldn't see it, but he could feel it. Something was reaching towards him, hand straining as it attempted to grab him. Her eyes were closed, but another pair of eyes were burning into him.

_This place is already taken._

"Licht? What's wrong?" Raia asked drowsily, watching as the eye slit suddenly closed up as Licht released the spell. He looked over at his friend, who stumbled back just once. The look of surprise on his face was concerning, to say the least.

Licht blinked a few times before speaking. "...I can't do it. You three were the extend of my powers. But also..." His eyes narrowed curiously. "This body is already housing two souls."

The trio exchanged glances. "How can that be? Did she already use a forbidden spell?" Fana asked.

"No... it's something even I am not aware of," Licht answered, looking down at her mark. "But we won't be able to resurrect her now. We'll have to wait until we have all of the stones."

"I see. Do we let her go, then?"

"No, definitely not. In fact, we can't just throw her in a dungeon, she needs to be kept in a coma." Licht smiled a little to himself. _William... this is a power even you, her friend, are not aware of?_ "If the others hadn't caught her unprepared, it's likely that she would have defeated all of them easily. Plus, she could be a valuable hostage." William _had_ been able to learn of her relationship to the Wizard King, after all. _I haven't had the chance to assess Julius Novachrono's magic yet, but with her, I could create a new weakness for him. But for now, we must wait._

"Put her back in Sally's lab. She'll sleep until we're ready to awaken her again."

* * *

Julius didn't last very long at work. It didn't help him get his mind off of things, and only made him more and more frustrated. To top it off, his headache was getting worse. "This would go so much faster with two people," he groaned to himself, resting his head on the desk. After a moment, he sat up, his eyes drawn back to the notebook. His heart clenched again at the sight of the blood, long dried onto the pages. With just a little hesitation, he grabbed it and flipped it open to the most recent entry.

His eyes widened slightly as he read. "Yuno, a wind magic user? That's William's new recruit... and a boy with Anti-Magic? I've never even heard of that." He couldn't help but to smile a little at the sight of her handwriting. _She probably knew this would interest me... she was right, as usual._ The thought was bittersweet, Julius's mood dropping once again. He gently closed the book and stuck it in his pocket, his mind starting to race. _Where could she have gone... who would have wanted to kidnap her? I've already checked some of the obvious answers, but I don't have many enemies among the kingdom. Was it someone from the Diamond Kingdom? Or god forbid... the Spade Kingdom..._ He clenched his fist slightly at the thought of her suffering somewhere at an enemy's hands. _It doesn't matter... I'll rescue her. We just need a lead. But for now..._ He pushed back his chair and stood up, looking towards the window. 

_I need some fresh air._

Usually, a trip down to Kikka in disguise put Julius in a good mood, but even that wasn't working today. The only enjoyment he could find was in beating a poor young Magic Knight from the Green Mantis squad, who had the misfortune of meeting him in the Black Market that afternoon. "Bah-ha! Why am I so unlucky today?" he wailed, dishing over more money to the "old lady" across from him. Julius chuckled. "It's not your fault, dear... I can see the future, you know." Julius knew he didn't need the money and would donate it later, but it was still fun to drive someone to bankruptcy.

"Well, at least that was fun," he said to himself as he started to walk out of the bar, a hefty bag of yuls in his hands. "I wish something exciting would happen, tho-"

As soon as he said that, a man ran up, snatched the bag away, and ran for it. "Heh heh! Just try and get me, Granny!"

Julius sighed, about to take off in pursuit, but froze as an extremely fast person shot by. "Get back here, you burglar!!"

It was a magic knight, a boy who couldn't be more than 15. Julius recognized him as the boy who bought his grilled purple snakes a few days ago. He was wearing a cloak- the one belonging to the Black Bulls. _Could this be... that anti magic boy in the notebook?_

Bah-Ha took off after the boy soon after, before two other Black Bulls ran up. "That guy stole your money? How rude!" Julius instantly recognized the two of them, the one who spoke first was none other than Noelle.

"Don't worry, ma'am, I'm sure Asta will be able to get it back," Vanessa assured her. "Let's go!"

Julius couldn't help but smile. _I didn't even have to do anything..._ He walked after the two girls. _Noelle seems to be getting along with her new squad. I wonder if her magic has gotten stronger yet?_

Soon they reached Asta and Sekke, and after a little hullabaloo, Sekke had the burglar tied up on the back of his magical bike. "Bah-Ha! The victory is mine, as usual."

"here you go, ma'am." Asta handed Julius the bag of money. "Are you alright? That must have been scary!"

"Oh, I'm fine, thank you." Julius eyed the large black sword in his hand. _An anti magic sword... incredible!_ It took everything in him to not try and touch it. "You took care of it marvelously, young man."

"Aw, no problem! - Oh, is that a wanted poster they're putting up?"

The group turned to see a pair of Royal Guards nearby, nailing a small poster into the wall. Well, it was more of a flyer than a poster. _That's right... I told them to put up posters earlier, after all._ "No... that's not a Wanted poster." Noelle gulped as she recognized the face on it, her heart falling. "It's a missing poster."

Asta examined the poster. "She looks familiar... hey, Bah-ha! She's the one who was at the exam, right?"

"It's Sekke," the boy grumbled, walking up to examine the poster. His face instantly lit up. "It is!!! She went missing since then?"

"How terrible," Vanessa said sadly.

"Apparently it was right after your exam, too," Noelle spoke up, frowning sadly. "She never came back that night."

Julius hung back, listening to their conversation. His good mood from gambling and seeing magic was quickly fading. "Hey, Noelle, how do you know so much about it?"

"I lived in the castle, you know," Noelle responded to Asta. "I would see her... a lot. I saw her the morning of the exam, so some guards sent me a letter with some questions about it yesterday." She sighed, gloomy. "I wonder what happened to her..."

"Bah-ha! I'm sure she has some enemies," Sekke spoke up, hands on his hips. "I've heard many rumors about her. She's always been a fairly secretive member of the higher-ups, but she still managed to have a sizable fan club."

Now, _that_ caught Julius's attention. "Huh? Er- she does?" Julius had never made their relationship known to the general populace for security reasons, so he shouldn't have been surprised that many people admired her. Still... it didn't sit right with him. And it didn't make him feel better when Sekke suddenly pulled out a magazine from nowhere. "She was even featured in the top-ten most eligible bachelorettes in the Kingdom! She can't beat Captain Charlotte Roselei, of course, but she was put on the cover!"

Julius and everyone else's eyes widened at the sight. _What the Hell?! How did they even get a picture of her in a bikini?!_ "Jesus Christ- Give me that!" Julius reached up and snatched the magazine away, not bearing to look any longer, and stuffed it in his pocket, much to Sekke's dismay. "Well, are there any _rumors_ about where she was taken? Or who took her?"

Sekke looked angry at the theft of his prized magazine but answered anyway. "Well... I don't know the details, but apparently she got in a lot of trouble about 6 years ago."

"What kind of trouble?" Vanessa asked with a raised eyebrow. "Captain Yami's known her for a long time, he's never mentioned anything like that."

"Well, I heard that she was tried for treason back then," Sekke told them, relishing in the gossip. "She used to be a member of the Crimson Lions, but after she was convicted they stripped her of her rank. They were going to execute her, too, but the Wizard King stepped in and recruited her as an advisor."

"Whoa... just like that?" Asta said, scratching his chin as he attempted to take everything in. "What did she do?"

"No one really knows. But that mark on her head, it's rumored to be some sort of forbidden magic. They say she made a deal with a devil to increase her powers, and maybe even used mind control to gain favor with-"

"That's ridiculous!" Julius had been stewing silently, but then looked up as Noelle was the first to speak up. Her fists were clenched at her sides. "She didn't do any of those things! I should know, I lived with her."

"Bah-ha!?" Sekke exclaimed indignantly. "What did she do, then?"

"She didn't do anything... she was innocent. She had to be." Noelle's gaze softened, anguish coming back. "She... she was one of the nicest people I ever met. Ever since I was a kid, she would come visit the castle. Back then..." _My own family rejected me. They didn't want anything to do with me._ "I always looked forward to seeing her. She and the Wizard King were very... close. I never saw them apart from each other once she came to live in the castle. And then, just last week." Noelle straightened up again. "After my brother told me I was to join the Black Bulls, she was the one who encouraged me. She told me that Captain Yami was the best captain I could ask for. And she said that I was definitely going to get stronger, she could tell. No one had faith in me, but she did!"

Asta blinked, thinking that this was the first time Noelle had ever truly discussed her life before the Black Bulls. "...Noelle..."

"I don't understand how she could be so nice when people like you are spreading nasty lies about her!" Noelle pointed at Sekke accusingly. "I'm royalty, so you better listen when I tell you to stop-" She cut herself off as something grabbed her hand. She looked down to see the Old Lady smiling up at her.

"I'm sure she would be happy to hear that, young lady... I'm sure she'll turn up sooner or later."

Noelle gulped. There was something comforting about the way the old lady's hand felt in hers, but she couldn't figure out why. "...right."

"Bah-ha, well, I better get this guy to jail!" Sekke jumped on his bike and zoomed away as quickly as he could. "See ya, granny!" Asta waved goodbye as the Black Bulls trio walked away. Julius waved back, letting out a heavy sigh. "Well... that was interesting." He released his transformation spell, glowing as he turned back into his normal self. "So, that was anti-magic? It's unlike anything I've ever seen before... and it seems like Noelle is suffering, too."

It was nice to hear those words from Noelle... in a way, the two of them had become like an aunt and uncle to the girl. Julius knew something was going on within the Silva family, and he didn't want Noelle to despair. But now... the memories only made him feel worse.

"Julius! What are you doing!?" Marx's face suddenly popped up as Julius opened the communication spell again. "You left a huge pile of work on your desk! I know things are hard, but-"

"Oh, I just needed to get some fresh air!" Julius told him. "I'll be back soon..." His voice trailed off at the sight of something flying through the air. "Oh! That's William's new recruit! Change of plans, Marx, I'll be out late."

"Wait! Julius-"

It was too late. Julius took off in pursuit of the group, hoping that he would distract himself just a little longer." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh... next time, chapter 56: the cornflower.
> 
> I couldn't resist the fan club idea and I wanted to torture Sekke in some way lol


	56. the cornflower

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. yikes another sad chapter?! I swear that the next one will leave you with some... hope lol
> 
> 2\. This chapter is mainly a flashback chapter. Someone suggested retelling some parts of the story from Julius's POV so there's a lot of that. Enjoy!

_The **Cornflower** is a humble reminder of nature's simple beauty and the fullness of life's cycle._

It was very late by the time he got home. Julius avoided his office on the way to his room, much to tired to focus on anything other than sleep. But it was a mistake. As soon as he closed the door of his room, there was nothing left to distract him from the impending wave of despair that threatened to crash down on him. 

He did everything he usually did before bed. He showered, drank a glass of red wine, brushed his hair and teeth, then flopped into his bed face down. His hand rested on the pillow on the right side, which was cold. That whole part of the bed was cold, and Julius stayed on the left out of habit. 

Every once in a while, she would leave to train, either by herself or with Mereoleona. She only left for about a month at a time, and a month and a half the first time. It was never fun for Julius but he slowly got used to it. This time, even though it had just been a couple of days, it hurt. This time, she might not be coming back. 

_I told her I would take care of her. But I failed... how am I supposed to protect this kingdom if I can't even protect one person? How am I supposed to do this without her?_

Strangely enough, Julius couldn't even bring himself to cry. Part of him was holding out, hoping she would be okay. But even if she was alive, what was she going through? Torture? Humiliation? Pain... 

Despite all the thoughts, Julius could still feel a strange, comforting warmth within him. It was almost deceptive as it whispered that everything would be alright. But it was just a shard of her soul, right? Even if she died, he would have that shard with him for the rest of his life. 

But still... he dreaded the day that he would feel her life end. He knew he would feel it when it happened. 

_...How could you leave me alone like this?_

He was almost angry. Not at her, but at the situation. He wanted her back, he would give _anything_ to have her back. She was his other half, his closest friend and confidant. His heart yearned for the comfort she brought, the real concrete comfort unlike what the shell inside of him gave. 

It wasn't just his heart, either. His body ached for hers. It was always a little joke between the two of them, how often he became needy for her touch. But it was no joke now. She couldn't touch him, and he couldn't touch her. He squeezed his eyes shut as memories spilled back, memories of all the nights they spent together. The feel of her skin, the sounds he coaxed from her lips, her wonderful body moving under his hands-

_I'm really... never going to spend another night with her. I'll never be able to marry her. I should have married her years ago... but even, I doubt it would hurt any less._

The thoughts troubled him until his eyes eventually closed, plunging him into a deep sleep. 

* * *

"Julius! JULIUS!"

Julius woke up with a start, sitting up in his bed. Yami had kicked the footboard in order to jolt him awake, the young man scowling. The other members of the Grey Deer cowered behind him, aghast at how bold he was. William was there too, looking more exasperated than anything. "For an old man, you sure do sleep a lot. You're supposed to be the Wizard King now, remember?"

"...oh! Sorry, I didn't mean to sleep in so late!" Julius rubbed his eyes, pulling the covers off of him and standing up. His eyes moved to the window, showing that he was in the second story of the nicest hotel they could find in this town. _That's right... the citizens should know the face of their King. That's why we went on this trip in the first place._ "What time is it?"

"Nearly lunch time," William replied.

Julius's eyes widened. "Oh, that's not good!" He quickly started putting on his shoes. "Let's get lunch, then... and we'll move on afterwards."

"Sounds great to me." Of course Yami was enamored with the idea of getting lunch.

It was hard to get used to the stares. Julius had barely been Wizard King for two months, but he knew he still had a long ways to go before he settled into the position. People whispered behind their hands and some cheered as he made his way down the street with the rest of the Grey Deer. He waved back at them with a smile. _At least, this way, I can get popular. That'll help me later._

They had barely sat down for lunch when a breathless messenger came screaming in on a broom, nearly crashing as he landed. "There's an attack! The Diamond Kingdom is attacking!"

Gasps rattled through the crowd. "An attack?! Here?!"

"No, no, in that little town out by the border," the messenger explained breathlessly. "The Diamond Kingdom wants the magic stones in our mines, but it seems like they're going to burn the whole town down while they're at it!"

Well, there was really only one thing they could do. The Grey Deer jumped up from lunch and sped off in the direction of the town.

"Yami, William, you two go take care of the mages in the mines," Julius ordered. "I'll defend the town." The two younger men nodded and ran off with a few others while Julius turned back to the city. It was just as described, Diamond Mages were running everywhere, shooting buildings and chasing after townspeople. Julius spent only moments trapping them all, dodging their attacks before they could react. Many people stopped to gape at his power. _This is good! I want people to feel safe and defended when I'm around... this attack was actually pretty convenient-_

That's when he felt it: From the center of town, a magical signature suddenly appeared, stronger than anything else in the city. Julius froze at the sensation, his heartbeat quickening. _What in the world is that? It better not be an enemy!_ This mana, though... it was unlike anything he'd ever felt from another person. It was... _unearthly._ He had to check it out. As soon as he captured the last mage in the area, he sped off ahead, spotting smoke coming from the town square. His feet hit the ground and he ran around the corner, skidding to a stop as he spotted the source of the mana.

_The **Vulture** is not just the bringer of death_

_The **Vulture** can give meaning to your life if you failed to give it meaning yourself._

A large, blue, flaming condor hit the Diamond Mage, pushing him across the courtyard and slamming him into the opposite wall. Bricks went flying, and by the time it dissipated, the man crumpled to the ground in a useless heap. Julius stared at the victim for a moment, incredulous. _Wow... that spell..._ He looked back up at the cracked wall. _So powerful... was that blue flame? I've never seen someone use that before? Was that-_

He finally turned his head, his gaze falling on a person standing a few meters away. But as soon as he spotted her, she wobbled, a multitude of needles stuck into her body. The needles quickly faded away, and she fell over.

But, she never hit the ground. Julius didn't even remember making the decision to move, but he did. He caught her gently, just as the other Grey Deer ran into the plaza to take on the new wave of attackers. They were nothing special, just enemies that would be easy for them to defeat.

_But, this girl..._

Her wounds were bad. Julius could already feel warm blood dripping on his hands. His eyes traveled up to her head, where a strange magical mark was glowing. Julius had never seen anything like it, but he didn't have time to think about it too hard. _These wounds... she's going to die if I don't do something._ He was about to start healing her himself, but a magical blast zoomed past, nearly missing him. Panicking, Julius made a decision. _"Chrono Stasis."_ A bubble of frozen time formed around her body. _There, as long as she's in here, her wounds won't get worse-_

"Get away from her! Whatever are you doing!?"

Julius felt something start to hit him, and looked down to see a young woman with weirdly translucent eyes hitting him with her balled fists. He wasn't sure what to do, but the woman looked extremely upset. "Get away from my cousin! What did you do to her?! What's this weird bubble thing?" 

"Huh?" Julius stepped back in an attempt to stop getting hit. "Don't worry, she's safe! She's wounded, I don't want her to get worse-"

The woman paused, staring up at him, confused as to who he was and probably what was going on. Finally, she turned and looked down at her cousin, tears wavering in the corners of her eyes. Julius glanced over at the others, seeing that they were almost done stopping the attack, before turning back to the pair. "Say... that mark on her head... has she always had that?"

The girl's eyes widened. "No... but that's just like the one her father has... or.... had..."

Julius followed her gaze, his blood freezing when he saw the body laying a meter or so away.

_Her father..._

As soon as the fight was over, Julius freed the girl and healed her wounds. He had her cousin, named Lyra, escort them to her house. The girl wasn't waking up, which was frightening, but there wasn't much more they could do but wait. 

"Thank you for your help, sir," Lyra said, bowing her head a little. "We didn't expect the entire Grey Deer squad to appear."

"Yeah... aren't they supposed to be escorting the Wizard King?" her mother, Portia, asked.

They were silent for a moment, and then the realization hit them.

"YOU'RE THE WIZARD KING?!?!"

Julius laughed as they started to panic. "Guilty as charged! Don't worry, I'm always glad to help-" He cut off when two small children came out of nowhere and grabbed onto his legs. "Wizard King! Wizard King!" they chanted.

"Rocco! Pat! What do you think you're doing?!" Portia grabbed her sons. "My word, I'm so sorry about that-"

"Oh, it's okay! Kids will be kids, ahaha!"

Portia dragged her kids out of the room. Lyra sighed and sat down in a chair next to her cousin's bed. The girl, although unconscious, had immediately curled up around her pillow when tucked it. It was kind of cute. "Do you think she'll be alright?" Lyra asked quietly, holding the limp hand.

"...I think so." Julius gave her a smile. "I can already tell... she's strong."

He said goodbye afterwards, heading out the door to the stairs. He paused in front of another bedroom door that was slightly cracked ope. Inside, a woman sat next to a bed. She was slumped over, her shoulders covered in a blanket. On the bed laid a body with a white sheet pulled over it. _...that must be her mother._ Julius's brow furrowed at the sight. The woman wasn't crying, she just stared at the body blankly. No emotion showed on her face... it was chilling. _If only I had gotten there a little quicker..._

The Grey Deer decided to stay in town for the night, in order to help repair and clean up the town after the attack. A spatial mage sent the prisoners back to the capital. Julius secretly wanted to stay until the girl with the mark woke up. He was interested in whatever kind of magic she was using, and what exactly her father's mark was about. He sent Yami and William over to check on her around midday while he went with some of the others to eat at the local tavern. Many of the patrons were quiet, only glancing at the Wizard King as they drank. It was a somber mood... Julius was confused as to why when he realized that the man who died had been the owner of the place.

Trying to distract himself, he pulled out the Grimoire he picked up on the battlefield. He forgot to leave it with the girl's family when he visited, but it gave him the opportunity to look through it. His eyes lit up the more he read, intrigued. _So many cool spells... I want to see her try them all! I wonder if I could convince her to become a magic knight. It worked with Yami and William..._

"Hey, Julius, that girl woke up." Julius looked over to see Yami and William walking over. "She has a weird creepy thing on her forehead but other than that, she's okay. Apparently William knows her, too."

Julius was glad to hear that, and he closed the Grimoire and slipped it back in his robe. "Oh? How do you know her?"

"She took the exam at the same time as me," William explained. "She didn't get any offers, though."

Julius frowned, trying to remember. _I'm sure I would have remembered someone with such powerful magic?_ Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Wait... is she the one who told that horrible popcorn joke?"

"Joke? It wasn't even a joke," William chuckled. "I'm surprised you remember... but it's hard to believe that she's the same person. That magic, she said she's never been able to do anything like it until yesterday, when she got that mark. Apparently her father had the exact same one on his hand."

"Interesting... well, I better go find her." Julius stood up and brushed himself off. "Eat as much as you want, I'll pay when I get back. Then we'll head out."

Julius walked out of the tavern by himself, ignoring all the stares as usual. _Hmm, now I just have to remember the way to her house-_ He stopped short as someone sprinted across the street. He instantly recognized her. She almost looked panicked, but that was probably because of her missing Grimoire. Julius took off in pursuit, unnoticed as she ran off towards the edge of the woods outside of town. With some difficulty, Julius followed, getting hit by a few branches, before he entered a clearing. There she was, bent over slightly out of breath at the edge of a river. The ground was covered with white flowers, blowing softly in the breeze. Not really sure what to do, Julius slowly approached her. _What do I say? "Hello there?" "What's up?" No, not like that-_

She suddenly whipped around, her eyes widening when she saw him. _Oops, here we go!_ Julius conjured up the friendliest, least-threatening smile he could. "Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you!"

She blinked a few times, her mouth closing as the shock wore off. _She must have recognized me_. "Oh... ah, it's okay, I didn't think anyone followed me." She immediately averted her eyes and walked a few steps away from the riverbank, her hands starting to wring together nervously. "What- er- what brings you out here?"

 _Dang, am I really that intimidating?_ Julius thought to himself, starting to feel a little nervous as well for some reason. "William and Yami came back and told me that you woke up." She only spared him quick glances, her eyes always immediately returning to the flowers on the ground. It gave Julius ample time to take her appearance in. _She's pretty young... if she's William's age, that means she's 18, right?_ For some reason, that conclusion made him even more nervous. "You made it easy for me to capture that Diamond Mage, and I wanted to thank you."

Her eyes widened, her mouth opening again incredulously. "Oh, there's no need to thank me! I-I was just trying to defend myself!"

Julius couldn't help himself, he let out a laugh. _She's so modest... a lot of people would leap forward to take the glory._ "You still did a good job. That reminds me-" He remembered her Grimoire in his robe and pulled it out to offer it to her. "I need to return this to you."

"Oh! I was so worried I lost it! But... why do you have that, anyway?" Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, and Julius suddenly realized how this looked. _Uh oh... I didn't steal it! It was an accident!!_ Not really knowing what to do, he squeezed his eyes shut in embarrassment. "I'm sorry! I couldn't help it! You dropped it earlier and I picked it up, I was going to give it back, but I really liked the spell you used out there and I wanted to see if you had more, and you did! I've heard of people using blue fire, but I've never seen it myself! And, if it's not too much trouble, I wouldn't mind-" He stopped when he felt the Grimoire get pulled out of his hands. He looked up to see the girl clutch it close, her eyes drifting away from him again, for some reason, she seemed like she was embarrassed as well. _Ooh... it was probably weird to see me geek out like that..._

"Thank you... I'm honored that you liked my spell."

Julius couldn't help but smile at her words. "When I first arrived in town, I could feel your mana all the way over there!" He waved his hand in some random direction. "So I raced over there to watch, and I wasn't disappointed!" He remembered how powerful that condor spell had been... but then, he also remembered the body that was laying there on the battlefield. His excitement faded quickly. "Also, well... I'm sorry about your father. I really am..." Guilt started welling up within him. "I wish I got there sooner, I would have-"

"Don't worry about it."

Julius blinked as she started speaking again. Her eyes were fixed on his feet, emotions tumbling within her. But none of it was spilling out. Somehow... she was holding it together.

"You and the Grey Deer saved this town, everyone is thankful for that. Including me." 

Finally, emotion bleeds onto her face. Surprisingly, it's a smile, and for the first time, she purposefully looked up to stare him right in the eyes.

"There's no reason to regret anything."

For the first time in a while, Julius couldn't find any words.

It felt like this was the first time _anyone_ had ever smiled at him.

Finally, he cleared his throat. "So, ah- The _real_ reason I wanted to talk to you is- well, you can probably guess."

"Right, of course, sir."

"Julius, please."

"Alright, Julius."

_... my name sounds nice when she says it._

They talked for a long, long time there by the river. Julius asked as many questions as he could, soon lost in through. _What a strange situation... Why did that Diamond Mage recognize the Mark? I've never seen anything like it._ He looked over and realized that she had been slowly stripping flowers of their petals and dropping them in a pile at her feet. One of her hands held the empty stem of one of them... and he noticed that her fingers were trembling. Slowly, he looked back at her face.

She looked... scared. Overwhelmed. Sad. She was completely trapped within whatever box she had made for herself. Her father was gone, and now she had something unnatural on her head. Of course she would be frightened... it probably didn't help that Julius kept interrogating her about it. His face softened, and his hand moved. The instinct surprised him; his hand was drawn to her. But instead, he went for the stem in her hand, plucking it from her fingers. "Watch this!"

He rewound the flower, watching with pride as her eyes widened at the sight of his magic. It was a simple spell, but she seemed impressed. _...I just got a really good idea,_ Julius thought, his eyes lingering on her face. _Play it cool... play it smooth... alright. GO._ After hyping himself up internally, Julius took the complete flower and, in one swift movement, tucked it behind the girl's ear with a few strands of her hair.

"...there."

She immediately blushed, her cheeks turning pink. _Ha ha! There we go!_ Julius thought to himself proudly, holding it in and simply giving her a cryptic smile as he stood up. "Well, it seems like we have a mystery on our hands... It'll give me something to do, I need something to distract myself from all the work." He laughed and extended his hand to her. After a moment, she finally took it and he gently helped her to her feet.

_Her hand is so soft..._

"I'll let you know what I find out from the Diamond mages, the next time we see each other."

"You can't be serious! You'd come all the way back out here?"

"No, I won't come back _here_ , you'll be living closer to the capital soon, after all."

"...what do you mean?"

"You're taking the magic knight's exam again, right?"

A breeze blew through the clearing. The bed of flowers rippled around her feet, her hair waving slightly around her hair as she stared at him, taking in what he just said.

"Again? Wait... you remember me?" 

"Of course... how could I ever forget that god-awful popcorn joke."

He finally turned away, waving goodbye.

"See you!"

He thought about her a lot over the next three months. He heard that she finally join the Crimson Lions, and he only managed to wait one week before going to see her. For some reason she seemed even more nervous than the last time they met, but that was probably because Yami and William got her drunk earlier in the evening. Even so, it went well... they talked for hours, and Julius even managed to make her laugh. He took the opportunity to invite her to the castle, wanting to ensure that he would see her again. Over time, it became more and more obvious that the reason for her nervousness wasn't just because he was the Wizard King. She became more relaxed and casual, but her eyes always lingered on him and she blushed whenever he brushed against her hand or knee. 

_Or maybe I'm just kidding myself..._

Julius finally worked up the nerve to ask her on a date. She said yes, but Julius was practically kicking himself over it. _I'm glad I asked, but did I have to ask right THEN? I made her decide in front of Fuegoleon, and anyway, what was she going to do, say no?_ He was very aware that the power dynamic here was very unbalanced. Despite his friendly nature, he intimidated people, and was afraid that she only said yes because she had to. If she agreed to a date because of that, what else would she agree to? The thought of accidentally forcing her into something was mortifying.

At the same time... it had been a while since he'd _wanted_ someone so badly. She was cute, yeah... but being around her excited him like nothing else. He felt 10 years younger every time she said his name.

He practiced his confession in the mirror on the morning of Augustus's birthday. _" 'I'm sure you've already figured it out by now, but...' No, no that's not right! 'You've stolen my heart so it's only appropriate that you give me yours-' NO! That's much too pushy... 'You're my heart's only desire.' Ugh, talk about corny..."_

Of course, it ended up being far different than he planned. The attack, the Dyad spell, that night at the hospital... He stayed with her until she fell asleep that night, the first night that he held her in his arms. He couldn't take his eyes off of her, his heart beating faster with every breath she took. _She's mine... she's finally mine..._ He thought to himself over and over again, watching as she slept. _I never want to let go of her again..._

And for the next 7 years, he did his best to do just that. No matter what the world threw at them, she would always be by his side.

Or so he thought.

* * *

_..._

_You can't leave me... maybe it wasn't for long, but we shared our very souls. Please don't leave me here alone..._

She was gone. All that was left was this empty, incomplete shard of her vibrant soul. The woman sat there, glowing slightly blue, picking flower after flower. 

Julius watched blankly. She was smiling, but her eyes were vacant.

"...where are you?"

She didn't answer.

"Tell me... please."

Nothing.

_The **Cornflower** is a humble reminder of nature's simple beauty and the fullness of life's cycle._

_That cycle may have come to an end._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time... Chapter 57: the ceremony. Julius invites some guests to a special ceremony. He didn't expect to leave it so soon... but things might be changing for the better.


	57. the ceremony

There's a vulture circling far above me. 

I breathe in time with its movements as it makes a figure eight in the sky.

_Just a little longer._

_I'm not done yet._

* * *

**_One month later_ **

Julius felt like a robot as he passed out award after award. He smiled and acted as normal, but was fighting hard to keep it together. The Royal Guards called off the investigation weeks ago, even though no sign of a body was ever found. She was pronounced dead at that time, despite Julius knowing, in his heart, that she was still alive.

"That's it for the awards... at least for those gathered here today," Julius announced as the last magic knight to be promoted walked back to their squad. Asta, Yuno, Noelle, Mimosa, and Klaus all stood at the back of the room silently. They came to report about the dungeon they explored recently, and Julius thought it would be nice for them to come see the ceremony, even if this part was fairly somber. "Sadly... I have to give this pardon posthumously. I'm sure she was someone very... dear to many of us in this room."

Asta looked around, noticing that the captain of the Crimson Lions and the captain of the Silver Eagles were both staring hard at the ground. Fuegoleon's fist clenched.

"By order of the King, and for her years of faithful service... I hereby pardon her of her crimes of Assault and Corruption. She died-"

Julius's voice wavered for just a moment.

Noelle squeezed her eyes shut.

"She died proudly, as an innocent woman."

Julius let out a strained breath before smiling, concealing the pain within. "That's all I have to say. I've prepared some refreshments in the next room. Oh, and also-" He smiled a little, pointing to the back of the room. Everyone turned to look at the junior knights gathered there. "I've invited some special guests to sit in. I hope you will all mix and mingle, and get to know one another-"

Julius faltered as he felt something strange. Out of nowhere, a headache appeared just above his eyebrows, but the main problem was a harsh, burning pain in his chest, right below his heart. It took everything he had to just pause, not wanting to cause a scene. But it was worrying... _Am I having a heart attack?!_

... _no... this is..._

His eyes widened slightly when he realized what it was.

 _This isn't my pain... it's_ hers. _She's alive... she's awake... and she's calling to me._

"...I hope you will excuse me. I have some business to attend to shortly, so please enjoy yourselves at lunch!" With a casual wave, Julius exited the room as quickly as he could, hurrying down the hallway.

"Wait! Julius!" Marx ran up from behind, grabbing his arm. "Where are you going?! You don't have any other business this afternoon! What's going on-"

"I know where she is."

Marx's eyes blew wide open. "...how?" he answered, his voice hoarse with shock.

Julius furrowed his brow. "I felt it just now... it was like a signal, like the first time she ever used the Dyad spell on me. I'm not sure why she waited this long, but I know exactly where she is. And... she needs help." He looked down at Marx, smiling genuinely for the first time in a long time. "I'm leaving to rescue her... I'm going to bring her back this time, I promise."

Marx blinked, a little confused, but felt a distinct feeling welling up in his chest.

_Hope._

"...then go get her."

Meanwhile, things weren't going so well at the luncheon.

"What was the Wizard King thinking, inviting riff-raff like them to the ceremony?" Alecdora Sandler whispered to the other members of the Golden Dawn. "And now Mimosa's even eating with them... I heard she was wounded during the dungeon crawl, what a disgrace to house Vermillion."

"I respect Lord Julius... but sometimes I have to question his decisions."

"He even let that peasant with no magic come..."

"And why did he feel the need to pardon his advisor? She's not a magic knight."

" _She's?_ You mean she _wasn't."_

"Right."

Noelle glanced over at the conversation, her grip on her glass tightening. They were lucky that Nozel and Fuegoleon were out of earshot. 

Nebra and Solid, however, were not quite done discussing the subject yet. "I can't believe he pardoned her in the first place," the woman whispered. "I mean, assault _and_ corruption? I heard that she dabbled in dark magic as well..."

"Definitely... that creepy mark on her face proves it," Solid whispered back. "She was supposed to be executed... but Lord Julius swooped in and saved her. Some people say that she used a mind control spell on him, but I think it's more likely that she was... you know..."

"What?"

"...sucking his-"

Noelle grit her teeth and looked up, opening her mouth to say something. But surprisingly, someone else beat her to it.

"Nebra. Solid. Stop disgracing our family and stop talking about such nonsense," Nozel told them coldly, appearing out of nowhere. "Baseless rumors aren't becoming of royalty."

Nebra gulped, falling silent. Solid chuckled menacingly, recovering quickly and walking over to his youngest sister. "Well, let's not forget who the _real_ disgrace is..." He smirked and suddenly poured his water on Noelle's head. She winced, but didn't do anything. "I'm surprised you decided to show your face in the noble realm in the first place. You should be dead instead of mother."

Noelle's eyes teared up, and she turned to run away, however, a hand grabbed her arm and stopped her. She looked up to see Asta glaring at her siblings, genuinely angry.

"...I won't let them speak to you that way."

Before anyone knew what was happening, the short, magicless, loud boy jumped up onto a table, shouting about how unpleasant the nobles all were. Solid tired of this quickly, and he and Nebra shot binding spells at the boy. But he easily cut through both of the spells with his anti-magic sword.

"I'm... I'm going to become the Wizard King!" he announced loudly, holding up his swords. "And then I'll shut you _all_ up!"

* * *

Meanwhile, there was another battle raging. A very different battle, but a battle nonetheless.

"Are you kidding?" Sally groaned. "Rades and Valtos are always causing so much trouble..."

"It's mostly Rades's fault," Geork muttered. "But we better clean this up before Licht gets back."

"Agreed." The pair rounded up a few others before heading out. The door of Sally's lab swung shut. It was left in darkness, all except for a dull green light emanating from a couple structures in the back. Barely formed bodies floated within them. It would take forever for them to be ready. One of them, however holds a complete body. Sally was quite proud of herself for this idea. A girl who constantly replenishes her own mana? That was unheard of! Some quick observations made it clear that her entire body was running off of the stuff. Sally didn't really have a reason to figure out _why,_ though. Licht said to keep the prisoner asleep. Sally hooked up one of her mana-sucking devices to a holding tank. She had been selling them to some other criminals for a quick buck, but now that they basically had a limitless supply of mana, they came in handy. For the past month, their prisoner filled up their stores, allowing Sally to sell them and make more and more money. Sally didn't know why Licht wanted this girl around and alive, but it didn't matter. The Eye of the Midnight Sun got richer because of it.

_Every time, they take ounces and ounces of my mana._

_So... I'll let them. But I'll keep a tiny bit for myself._

_Bit by bit, I'll build it up in my mark._

_I don't know who these people are, but they haven't noticed._

My mark starts to glow, hotter and hotter. Then, the glass cracks. 

A second later, I find myself spilled out onto the ground, soaking wet. As soon as the cold air hits me, my eyes snap open and I draw in my first breath of air in months.

At first, I don't even remember who I am. I can't really see, and my mind is still waterlogged. No... that wasn't water. I could breathe through it, so I never actually drowned. And it tasted funny. _Man... if I had a yul for every time I've been imprisoned in a weird fluid tank, I would have two yuls. Which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice!_

That's right... the details start to fade into focus, yet I can't really seem to remember _how_ I was captured. I remember the events leading up to it, the exam, the walk home, and then some sort of pain... but that's all. All there is, until the moment I managed to free myself. After catching my breath for a few minutes, I finally sit up and look around. Is this a lab? Who are these people, anyway? How long have I been here? I reach up and touch my hair. It's longer than it was before... much longer. Shaggy, too, almost embarrassingly so. I probably look like I've been stuck on a deserted island for years. _God, I better not have been gone for a year! Julius, you better not have a new girlfriend..._

Getting to my feet is a struggle, but I somehow manage it with the help of a nearby table. It just so happens that my Grimoire is sitting on that very table, and I can't help but smirk to myself. Like I said before... I don't know who my captors are. But I'm about to kick their asses for kidnapping me in the first place.

Well, if I can _find_ anyone, that is. I wander out through the halls, completely encased in stone slabs. It smells dank in here, and water drips down onto beds of moss in some places. The only light is afforded by a few torches burning on the walls. Is this place underground? How deep am I? Mana pulses through the air, and I realize that it's probably an old dungeon. At this point, I don't even care about kicking someone's ass... I just want to go home.

 _Julius... I hope you're okay. But I'm coming now, I promise!_ Feeling determined, I stagger down the hall, one of my hands holding onto the wall for support. Finally, I reach a slightly larger hall that doesn't feel so claustrophobic. With a sigh of relief, I step into it, spying a door on the other end. Good! Now I can get out of here-

As soon as I think that, a shadow appears. Then, and person walks right on in, and we both freeze as we lock eyes.

He looks weird. He's pale, with round eyebrows, long hair braided in loops, and a very fancy robe. Both of us stare at each other in silence for what seems like an hour, sizing each other up, not really knowing what to say.

"...you woke up..."

It's less of a statement and more of a question, like he can't believe his eyes. I gulp nervously, standing my ground even though I _really_ want to run away right now. "Ah... that should be obvious, yeah?" I finally respond, willing myself to stay calm. _This might just be a goon, not the guy in charge, I mean, he's probably not that powerful anyway-_

He holds up his hand, and his grimoire opens. My blood runs cold when I see the cover.

... _that's... a four leaf clover..._

_Oh fuck._

"I'm glad we got to meet face to face. But you need to sleep again."

"Ah! Hold on!" I finally take a step back, feeling his mana building up. "Can you at least explain why you brought me here? I at least deserve that much, right?"

The man blinks, then lets out a laugh. "...no." 

Something flashes around him, light itself being generated from his magic. _Light magic? LIGHT MAGIC?!_ I think in a panic. _Not only does he have a four-leaf grimoire, but he has super-rare light magic, too?_ There's only one option for me to take now... run.

And that's exactly what I do. I turn and sprint away as fast as I can, turning the corner before he can attack. Only a few seconds in, and my body is screaming for me to stop, but I can't. I need to run, or else this guy is going to capture me and put me back in that tank. Then, I'll probably never see Julius again.

I don't get far. I hear a voice, as if it were right behind me:

_"Light Magic: Light Swords of Conviction."_

A second later, something burning hot stabs me in the leg. I let out a cry for help, even though right now I've never been more alone. The ground shoots up at me as I fall, hitting my shoulder hard. My grip on my grimoire loosens as the light sword disintegrates, leaving a freely-bleeding wound behind. Just that one attack was enough to cripple me?

Footsteps are coming closer from behind. "Sorry... don't worry, I'll heal you."

 _Heal me?_ I think, my mind starting to fog up. I reach out, clawing at the ground and trying to drag myself away.

_I need to escape... I need to run! But... I'm not strong enough. Do I have enough mana for any spell right now?_

_... You idiot. Of course you do. You're made of mana._

_And anyway... I'm not alone. I'm never alone._

My attacker freezes in place as my leg starts to glow blue. Right before his eyes, the wound he created starts to close up. _Healing magic? She's not even using her Grimoire..._

"You're pretty powerful, aren't you?" He looks back up as I speak. Slowly, I manage to sit up, drawing one of my legs up to rest on my knee. I take a few deep breaths. _Concentrate... just a little farther... let me tap into that power again._

"It's been a long time..."

The man couldn't help but smile to himself as my voice wavered painfully. "A long time... since you met someone as powerful as me?"

"No..."

I turn around to look back up at him. His eyes widen when he realizes that I'm not kneeling; I'm crouching, like a cat about to pounce. Even stranger, though... is the fact that the mark on my head is glowing, emanating mana.

_This magic..._

I roll my head slightly, stretching my neck. That time in the tank left me pretty stiff.

"It's been a long time since someone made me mad enough to use this power!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yee haw! Next Time: Chapter 58: the wizard king's advisor vs the leader of the eye of the midnight sun. Yes, that's a long title. No, I don't need to describe what happens.


	58. the wizard king's advisor vs the leader of the eye of the midnight sun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. YEE HAWWWW
> 
> 2\. MC: I need a hair cut and I need some blood on my hands RIGHT NOW
> 
> 3\. yo for real tho let me know in the comments if you liked this fight, I've been agonizing over it for a while lol.

_Dyad Magic_ is what gives me my power. Like the Simulcians long ago, I can draw mana from the infinite cycle of energy that once existed between Julius and I. In exchange for amplifying his magic, I received a few of his powers in return. A part of him will always dwell inside me, giving me the strength I need to get through this fight.

This weird pale guy is standing between me and escape. I can't run away anymore; turning around will only lead me deeper underground. However, this time I don't hesitate to advance forward. 

I don't know this man's name. I don't know why he kidnapped me, or why he wants me to go back to sleep. But there's something about his smirking face that annoys me, and makes it all the better when that smirk drops away as my mana replenishes itself instantly. My vision is almost blinded by the bright glowing mark on my forehead, but something tells me that I don't really need to think right now. I just need to fight.

"It's been a long time... since someone made me mad enough to use this power!"

In one swift movement, I sweep my arm across the air, blue flame crackling behind it. It burns bright and hot, quickly strengthening and concentrating into a volley of solar bolts. The man I'm fighting, who's name, Licht, I've yet to learn, jumps back out of the way, but he's not my target. The bolts shoot into the ground, sending stone and dust exploding into the tight hallway. Licht zooms backwards, his Grimoire already flipping to an attack spell. _She healed herself, and her mana? But Sally's been sucking away her mana for a month, how is that-_

Before he can finish his thought, I come shooting out of the dust, a crackling blue spear in my hand. Licht barely reacts in time, dodging it as I swipe it down where he was a second ago. But I'm already coming after him again, and again, and again. _She's pretty fast!_ he thinks, using his affinity with light to get out of the way in time, observing my every move. He notes that, every time I miss, the sharp end of the spear leaves a scorching hot gouge in the stone wall. _And she's close, too, I can't use any long range attacks in this hallway-_ Light concentrated in his hand, forming a long, thick sword. Without another second to spare, he zooms towards me, preparing to swing down with the blunt end. _Try and dodge this, though!_

I don't try to dodge, instead grabbing the spear with both hands and bracing it. The light sword hits it hard, a bright flash flaring up from the impact. Both of us are thrown back down opposite ends of the hallways, rolling to a stop. _Shit! I'm getting blasted the opposite way from where I want to go,_ I think, frustrated as I steady on my feet. The dust clears, and I can see Licht standing there. _But a little backlog won't hurt... I'm going to walk over this guy once I catch up to his speed._

Without another word, I push off the ground again, zipping towards Licht once more. _She doesn't have that spear, she must be trying to get by,_ Licht thinks to himself, his grip on his sword tightening. _I won't let her!_ Timed just right, he swings down again, with one quick, fell sweep. My eyes widen a bit, and I change plans. I plant a foot in the ground, slowing down just in time to avoid the tip of his sword, which barely misses grazing my skin. _What? How did she even see that-_ Licht spotted my right fist, which was now encased in bright blue fire, three claw-like spikes. _And she adapted too, so quickly! I need to-_

I swipe up once as he jumps out of the way. This time, my attack connects.

Licht stumbled back to a stop, hearing something _thunk_ to the ground behind him. Both of us stand still.

_Was that... MY ARM?_

_No..._ Licht was aware that his arm was still there, at least. Then...

Slowly, he turned his head and looked at the ground.

I cut off one of his heavy loops of braids. The _thunk_ was the sound of the metal bangles hitting the stone.

"Hmm... that's not very fair." He looks back up at me as I speak. I stare down at the braid, looking kind of forlorn. " _I'm_ the one who needs a haircut here, not you."

I can taste blood in my mouth, but I ignore it for now. My spear reappears in my hand and I once again advance. _All I need to do... is push him back into that bigger hallway._

Licht grit his teeth and dodged again and again, backpedaling towards the end of the smaller hallway. _In there... I can have more room. If I have more room, I can capture her again-_ He sidesteps a particularly close attack. _But what's with this speed?_ He pushes off the ground and shoots backwards, his eyes fixed on me as I pursue. _She's a flame magic user, right? Someone with that magic shouldn't be able to keep up with light magic. Unless there's something more._

The walls expand as he finally reaches the larger hall, and he skids to a stop near the exit. "Cutting off my hair... that's not a wound. It didn't count," he said finally, raising his hand as his satisfied smirk reappears on his face. "You haven't been able to land a single scratch on me so far."

"I'm not trying to kill you," I respond, massaging my palm with my thumb as I prepare for the next volley. "I'm just trying to escape."

"Fair enough. I can't let you do that, either." Licht's grimoire brightened. A lattice of sharp-looking light attacks suddenly appeared behind him. "Light magic: light swords of conviction."

The swords start pelting down at me. Licht knew that he could easily summon more, but he didn't want the risk of harming my body. However, he quickly realizes that he's not the only one here who's good at dodging. I push away again and again, surprised that I can be this agile after being asleep for so long. Each time I stop, the momentum catches up a split second later, stirring up dust and wind behind me. _Just a little farther-_

_Dammit! She's too fast, this many swords isn't going to cut it-_

A split second later, I'm right in front of him.

_Ah!_

My attack is one nanosecond late. Licht summons another sword of light and slashes it through the air. This time, it connects, a trail of blood following the blade across my stomach.

There's more blood in my mouth now. I part my lips and cough it up as I fall backwards.

_Ow, ow, ow..._

_Hold on for just a few more seconds..._

Licht relaxes as I hit the ground, the sword disappearing from his hand. "Finally." He sighs and looks down at the wound. "I'll heal you once you pass out, don't worry."

I whisper something, but it's gargled as I struggle to breathe.

"Hmm? What was that?" Licht bends down a little to listen. He doesn't realize what it means when my lips curl into a smile.

_"...flame magic... solar... blitz!"_

Before he can react, my body glows bright in several spots, before solar bursts shoot out in every direction. The ground cracks beneath me, and even Licht can't get out of the way. "G- ahh!" He goes flying, searing pain shooting through his body. _She made it seem like she was down... just to make me relax-_

He tumbled across the floor, his head spinning, dangerously close to passing out. The pain lingered even as his body cooled. Slowly, he managed to sit up, spotting me standing a couple meters away. Something wasn't adding up... if I was fine standing, and it had at least been a couple seconds after the attack, shouldn't I have escaped through the exit by now?

"Good grief... Did you really think a wound like that was enough to stop me?" My hand comes up to my stomach, something blue glowing within in. Licht watched in horror as the wound closed up. _That's not flame healing magic, is it? Then, what could it be?_

I let out a satisfied sigh as the wound disappears, then I stretch my arm across my chest to loosen it up. "Your mistake was that you decided not to kill me... I don't know why, but you want me alive. Unfortunately for you, though-" I point at him. "You're going to cause trouble for more people, aren't you? Because of that..." I smile as blue flame starts to crackle around me. "I guess I can't leave with you still alive."

_Uh oh-_

Licht wasn't sure what he should do. The two of us zip around the room quicker than human eyes could probably pick up. One of my hands clutches my blazing spear, the other sending accelerated solar bolts over and over. The air is saturated with our competing mana. Every time Licht makes for the exit, I appear there with a puff of flame, driving him back the other way. _She's trying to tire me out, then go in for the kill-_ Licht thinks to himself. His hand splays out on his grimoire, pulling out a long whip of light, which he snaps over at me. It barely misses, plowing into the wall instead. The hall, although bigger than the other passageway, is far too small for this type of battle. _If I keep holding back, she's going to kill me. But if I go all out..._ The thought of killing Saida's vessel was disturbing to him.

His whip crashes into the ceiling, causing slabs of rock to fall down on the two of us. I pause for just a moment as one barrels down towards me. I raise my hands, focusing on one of the hardest spells I can currently pull off. 

_Chrono Stasis._

An orb appears around the slab, halting it in midair. I clench my fist, and it cracks into a million shards. "There you go... catch!"

The shards suddenly shoot out, accelerated, towards Licht, who pulls out his light sword just in time. The shards curve in the air, but he somehow manages to block them all. _She made them curve in middair, too? This has nothing to do with her attribute... She's using some strange power that even I don't know about._

"Mana Zone:" His attention is caught as my grimoire flips to a new page. He instantly feels the mana in the room getting pulled into one spot, right above him. I raise my hand, feeling blood dripping out of my nose. _I don't know how much longer I'm going to last. Julius's spells are great, but I'm reaching my limit.... I better end this quickly._ "Flaming Condor!"

A horrible, flaming bird bursts to life right above Licht, flapping its wings once before diving down towards him. Licht moves out of the way, the heat from the flames starting to catch on the edges of his robes. "Light Magic: Heaven Splitting Flash!" Several orbs of light appeared around him, shooting high powered beams at the attacking spell. With a screech, it burst apart, sparks and embers flying.

But there wasn't even a moment to rest. I shot at him again and again. _Just a little more, just a little! He's getting tired, I can see it!_ Licht's composure wavers the more we fight, sweat starting to bead on his cheeks. Blood trails from his hand, where I managed to graze him with an attack. _I can do it, I know I can!_

We clash again, sending us flying in different directions. I skid to a stop on my feet, taking a moment to catch my breath. "If you keep holding back... you're going to die," I warn him. It's not like I've never killed someone before. I even stabbed my own uncle in the neck. I've been on the battlefield countless times. But I don't want to kill someone who isn't fighting with everything they have. "Come at me with all of your strength... and I'll prove who's stronger!!!"

Licht panted, narrowing his eyes at me. _I can't believe this... even William wasn't aware of how powerful she was._ Sharing a body with a magic knights captain was great for getting inside information, but this fact seemed to have escaped even him. _What do I do? She's right, she's definitely stronger than me if I don't use all of my strength. But... Saida... I don't want to destroy your future._

_But then again..._

_If_ I _die, none of this will have meant anything._

_Would you mind... sacrificing yourself?_

_You were always a particularly unpleasant elf... always picking fights and teasing me. But Raia told me he could tell, deep down, you cared more than anyone else._

_So... I'm sorry._

_This could be goodbye, Saida._

Licht gulped down the sadness, focusing instead on the enemy in front of him. I was no longer the vessel of his precious friend... I was an enemy. 

A human.

"I guess I have no choice."

My eyes widen as Licht starts to glow, rising off of the floor. He's charging an incredible amount of mana, more than he has so far. _Shit... shit! Maybe I should have just taken the chance and killed him, or maybe just escaped, either way, this isn't something I can get out of, now!_

Licht smiles as he directs his most powerful attack right at me, his voice rising as he casts the spell.

"Light Magic: Ray of Divine Punishment!"

 _It's too large and fast, I can't avoid it! I'm going to need to catch it... somehow!_ Gritting my teeth, I plant my feet in the ground and raise both of my hands. My mark is burning now, blood dripping out of my ears at the amount of mana being channeled through my body right now. _Julius.... I have to survive this. I have to see you again! And I will!_ Our connection is stronger than ever before, even though we're far away. When I use this power... I feel like he's right here with me.

Even so... I feel like I'm about to die. My attempt to freeze time will not be successful. So, with the very last of my strength...

_Julius._

_Please... find me._

Five seconds later, it's over. Light filled the hall, blinding both of us. Then, more stone slabs and rubble started to fall from the ceiling, dust obscuring the air. Licht falls back to the ground on his feet. "Did it work?" He looks over to see a sizable crater where I had been standing. Miraculously, I'm still in one piece, eyes open... but I can't see anything. My body is smoking, my breaths ragged. A huge gash is bleeding into my chest, right over my heart. Licht's eyes widen a bit at the realization that I'm still alive, and he runs over immediately, dropping to his knees. _She somehow managed to deflect the attack? At least, a lot of it, not all. She's still alive, though... but I did it. I defeated her._ He clears his throat. "Healing Light Particles."

Slowly, my wounds start to close up. Licht lets out a sigh of relief, then hears footsteps coming closer. "Master Licht! What's going on?"

"That captain you were after, Valtos transported him to the place you wanted."

Two of his henchmen run in, freezing when they see how torn up the hallway is. _Jeez... couldn't they have gotten here a little earlier?_ "This is one of her prisoners. Put her back in a holding tank at once," Licht ordered, standing up and stepping away from me. _I'll go heal my wounds in private... and then I'll go get the stone from Fuegoleon Vermillion._

Licht flashed away to deal with his next task, allowing the two men to grab my arms and start dragging my limp body away. "Wow, that was some fight... did she really do all that?"

"I thought Master Licht was invincible..."

"But he beat her, right?"

"Oh, yeah, of course. Where did everyone else go?"

"There was an altercation in the city, apparently Rades insisted on being a problem once again. It took a lot longer for them to corner that Lion captain-"

He doesn't finish his sentence. There's a blinding flash of light, and they're both dead.

My unconscious body starts to drop, but I don't hit the ground. I'm caught by a pair of gentle arms.

"...I knew it... I knew you were alive..."

I have no way of being aware of what's going on, but my breathing almost automatically steadies.

_It's alright..._

_He's here..._

For the first time in what feels like years... Julius holds me in his arms once again. He fights back tears at the sight of my face, before burying his face in the top of my shaggy hair.

"...I found you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time... Chapter 59: the aftermath. This long day has left everyone with more questions than answers. At least now they can all go home.


	59. the aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. FINALLY... SOFT
> 
> 2\. Reader assignment at the end of the chapter, I would love to hear some feedback 0.0
> 
> 3\. Also Idk if anyone else feels this way but when Julius said "I killed them" in episode 26 I think I died of a heart attack... he's wayyy too hot.

"I'm telling you, Sally, you can't bring that boy down here. Master will get mad if you do-"

"Come onnn Geork, it'll be fine!" Sally raises her hands in the hair. Asta trails behind her in a bubble of gel as they descend the stairs into the first level of their underground base. "I need to study him, he has anti magic! I'm gonna come up with some really cool dark magic items this time!"

Geork sighs. "Valtos, please, back me up."

"Please don't involve me in this," Valtos mutters.

"Fine, just don't come crying to me when you get in trouble."

The motley crew made it into the lower floor, but only got a few steps forward before freezing. They did _not_ expect to see this person standing _here,_ in their base. Asta blinks slowly, only barely able to make out images through the bubble of gel around him.

_...Is that..?_

It's none other than the Wizard King. He stands there, a small smile on his face, and looks over the scared people in front of him. _This can't be happening... and even worse-_ Valtos's gaze drops to the unconscious body in the Wizard King's arms. _He found our prisoner!_

"Good evening," Julius says casually. "I've been waiting for you for a while."

"I-Is that really the Wizard King?!" Rades stuttered, watching as the man gently set their captive on the ground at his feet. "What are you waiting for? Kill him!"

The two mages in front opened their Grimoires, but it was already too late. Julius teleported in front of them, spreading his arms and letting out two bright flashes of light. With a horrid _bang_ sound, the two mages were vaporized. Valtos and everyone else's mouths dropped open at the show of strength. _This man... he just..._

"I killed them," Julius said flatly. "Taking on your numbers would be too hard if I were going to try to capture you."

Rades let out a scared, anguished cry at the sight of the two scorch marks at his feet. Julius kept talking. "You guys were attacking the capitol, right? You didn't seriously try to kill without being prepared to die yourselves, did you?"

"That's enough!" Geork shouted. "Kill him!"

One of the other mages sent a spell at Julius, a large root shooting out of the ground and pelting towards the man. Julius easily moved out of the way and blasted the root to pieces. "I'll tell you what, I don't feel like killing _all_ of you, actually. I need someone to interrogate, after all. So-" He smiled and raised his hands amicably. "How about this: surrender, and I'll spare one of your lives! First come, first serve!"

For some reason, this just stiffened their resolve. "No way!"

Julius effortlessly phased around the volley of attacks being sent his way, quickly appearing behind the group. " _Time Binding Magic:"_ he started to say, clasping his hands together. " _Chrono Stasis!"_

Instantly, all of the enemies were encased in individual globes, frozen completely. Julius let out a sigh of relief and lowered his hands. "There... that wasn't as hard as I expected. Now, see how you like living in one, never-ending moment." Satisfied, he turned to walk over to check on me and Asta, but he froze.

"...don't move. I-I'll kill her!"

He missed one. Or maybe they came up out of the base... either way, a mage that he hadn't seen before was down on one knee, holding me in one arm while the other charged up a magic attack, aimed right at my face. The mage's voice wavered with fear, no doubt terrified of the man he had made his enemy. Julius stood still, sizing up the situation. _This guy doesn't have a plan past holding her hostage... I should be able to stop him before he hurts her, but one little mistake..._ Julius gulped, his smile falling the more he thought. _One little mistake, then I'll lose her again, for real this time-_

His thoughts were cut off as he noticed a new... development. Julius felt his fear disappear, and his smile returned.

_No... I don't have to do anything._

The mage was confused as to why Julius was smiling, then stiffened as he felt something. Slowly, he looked down to see a hand laying flat on his chest, palm down. It was quickly heating up. Then, he saw that my eyes are finally open. 

One concentrated solar bolt, and it's over. The man drops to the ground, a silent expression of fear on his face, his grip loosening around me. I manage to catch myself before I hit the cobble ground, but grunt a little at the pain in my joints. _God... what's going on? Everything hurts! I was escaping, and then I ran into that pale guy... didn't I kick his ass? I can see sunlight now, that means, someone brought me up here... but who..?_

My question is quickly answered when a large silhouette starts to advance towards me. Fear spikes through me, and my first reaction is to scoot away, thinking it's yet another enemy, trying to drag me back down into the depths of this dungeon. But I'm proven wrong a second later... when he gets close enough that I can see his face.

"...Julius?"

The name I whisper is barely audible, but he hears it. Those beautiful, lilac eyes instantly pool with emotions. With just two strides forward, his arms are instantly around me, the familiar warmth bleeding into my battered body.

_He's really here... I'm safe..._

Feeling my own eyes start to tear up, I bury my face into his shoulder, his familiar scent comforting me as much as the tight hug. I can hardly believe this is actually happening, but my senses aren't betraying me, this is _real._

 _"_ You found me," I whisper hoarsly, my hand making a fist in the white fur of his robe. 

"Of course I did." Julius pulls back just enough to look down into my eyes, his hands refusing to leave my body. His smile... I could die happily right now having seen that smile once again. "I'll always find you."

I'm sure he wants nothing more than to kiss me right now (and so do I), but I pick up on a small sound behind Julius. Craning my neck a little, my eyes widen as I realize that we aren't alone. "Uh, Julius, that kid-" I say awkwardly, pointing around his shoulder. "He doesn't look too good."

Julius (who had been waiting patiently with his lips puckered) looks around and sees the boy as well. "Oh, right!" He quickly rises to his feet, taking me with him. Just the act of standing up makes my head spin, and I quickly let go of him to lean against the wall. Julius walks over the the boy, who's kneeling on the ground after being dropped out of Sally's gel bubble. He's pale, his hands shaking a bit, his eyes fixed on a spot on the floor: a scorch mark. No doubt, seeing Julius dispense with so many powerful enemies with such ease must have been a little overwhelming for the boy. Slowly, I blink, recognition starting to register. _This kid... isn't he the one Yami chose? He's wearing the Black Bulls cloak-_

"Asta, I didn't expect to see you here, of all places," Julius tells him with a reassuring smile. "Seems like our fates might be intertwined..." He sweeps his gaze over to the five people encased in _Chrono Stasis._ "You want to be the Wizard King, right?" he asks, his tone friendly yet imposing. "This is just a fraction of the power you'll have to surpass. So... keep watching, and don't look away." Finally, he offers his hand to Asta, who finally looks up at him. His green eyes are full of awe, but also a little fear, and... determination. After a moment of silence, the shaking of his hands stills. With a frustrated grunt, Asta rises to his feet on his own.

"Oh? Looks like you didn't need my help after all." Julius smiles, letting his hand drop back down to his side.

"J-Julius," I finally speak up, drawing his gaze back to me. I feel a little queasy still after all the excitement today. "How long-"

"Whoa! You're that lady who got kidnapped!" Asta suddenly says, pointing at me. I wince a little at the sound of his loud voice. "Everyone said you were dead! I'm glad you're okay!"

Julius chuckles a bit to himself before moving back to my side, gesturing towards Asta. "Asta, as you already know, this is my advisor, and yes, you were pronounced dead by the King a week ago."

My eyes widen a bit at this news. "A week ago?! DEAD? That old man..." I grumble. "But, exactly how long was I... uh... out of commission?"

"A little over a month," Julius answers, his eyes becoming a little gloomy at the thought. I also feel a chill go through my body at the news.

"Over a month... that's the longest I've slept in years!" I turn back to Asta. "Julius, this boy, I was so excited to tell you after the exam, he has an anti-magic sword! He cut right through one of the other examinee's shield, it was amazing! Oh but-" my mood deflates. "You probably found that out while I was gone, right?"

Julius lets out a happy laugh again. "Don't worry, we found your notebook after you were taken... I read all about him then." His eyes twinkle, and he gives my hand one last squeeze before walking a few paces away. "Now," he says, addressing his prisoners. "Can somebody kindly explain what the deal is with this stone slab?" I didn't notice it before, but there's a large tablet set up in the middle of the hallway, displaying 10 circles in a strange configuration. I can make out a couple shiny stones implanted in it. "Ah, well, I guess you can't answer me when you're in there... I'll have to ask again once we all get back to the capitol." Julius sighs, content. The thought of going home after all this time... it's blissful.

However, our departure is delayed once again. Julius and I both feel it, a huge magical presence coming our way. I instantly recognize it, my eyes widening. "Julius! That's-" I try to take a step towards him as I say the warning, but my feet stumble weakly and I almost fall flat on my face. Luckily, Julius catches me and we stand close to Asta. "I know. Asta, brace yourself, something's coming," Julius warns, his eyes narrowing.

Suddenly, light flares up just above the mysterious tablet, so bright that the three of us are nearly blinded. I can just make out a figure within the glow, and even though I can't see his face I know who it is. _That's the guy I fought! This is bad news-_ I vaguely pick up on Julius raising his hand, an attack charging in his palm. But just as he releases it, the light flashes once and disappears.

The three of us are left there, stunned, but unharmed. "What?! Who was that shiny guy?" Asta asks, clearly shaken by the encounter.

"Julius, that guy, I fought him when I tried to escape just now," I hurriedly said. "He's really powerful, I couldn't beat him..."

Julius nods slowly, turning to see that the tablet and all of his prisoners but one are gone. "I see... light magic, fast than my own? I wonder if that's the enemy's boss... he seems interesting." The corners of his mouth twitch momentarily before he stops himself. "I mean- intimidating. But also interesting. You'll have to tell me all about it once we get back."

Suddenly, Marx's face pops up in front of us. "Sir! Finally, I've been trying to get through to you! You need to-" He suddenly cuts off when he spots me leaning on Julius. "AHH!!! You're alive!!"

"Yes, I am!" I tell him, my heart soaring at the sight of his face. Julius wasn't the only person I missed.

"I'm so happy.... but Julius," Marx's face falls again. "Please, come back immediately... you're needed at the medical tower at once!"

"Medical tower?" Julius repeated. "I knew there was an attack on the capitol-"

"An attack?" I repeat, my heart clenching a little. My captors ended up attacking the capitol, too? What on earth was going on here?

"It's Fuegoleon, sir," Marx finishes gravely. I feel my blood freeze, already expecting the worst. "He was badly injured... the captains are waiting for you there."

* * *

It only took us a minute or so to return to the capitol with Julius's speed. The small crowd gathered around the medical tower all turns around in shock when Julius warps in with incredible force, causing the dust to blow out around him. "Hello everyone!" he greets. He's holding Asta in one arm and me in the other. The others stare in surprise before everyone starts talking at once.

"W-Wizard King?"

"ASTA?!"

"And-"

The biggest shock comes when everyone sees me, and I raise a hand awkwardly at the gasps that ensue. "Hi! Er- I'm back!"

"ASTA!!!" As soon as Asta stands up, a blue-haired boy with glasses and a Golden Dawn robe sprints up and grabs him by the shoulders. "I swear- getting kidnapped like that? Don't you dare worry us all like that again!"

Asta smiles nervously, although touched by the man's concern. "I'll try not to, Klaus!"

"ASTAAA!" Klaus is pushed away by none other than Mimosa Vermillion, who runs past him and throws her arms around Asta. "We were all so worried! I was so afraid I would never see you again!" She suddenly blushes and steps back. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to impose like that-"

"It's okay, Mimosa! Thank you!" Asta says sincerely, laughing a little to dissolve the tension between them. My eyebrows are raised very high at the interaction, but I realize that there are several people running towards me as well.

"You're alive! You're alive!" A familiar, silver-haired girl runs over and jumps into a tight hug, which almost knocks me over. I cry out a little in shock but quickly manage to steady myself, hugging her back. "Noelle..." 

She pulls back to look up at me, her purple eyes nearly welling up. On her face is the most genuine smile that I've seen from her in a long time. "I thought I would never see you again..."

"Oh, Noelle," I reply, smiling reassuringly as one of my hands come up to pat the top of her head comfortingly. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to see the beginning of your journey as a magic knight, I've been looking forward to this time for years," I tell her. "But I'm back for good now, I promise." She beams up at me. _I can already tell something's changed in her... she seems so much more alive..._

"The King pronounced you dead a week ago." I look up at the familiar voice to see Nozel walking over to us, his eyes darting between Noelle and I. "I wonder how he will react when you show up tonight."

I can't help but chuckle at the thought. "I'm pretty sure that's just wishful thinking on his part." I glance behind him at his two younger siblings, Solid and Nebra, who did not move to greet me and are instead staring at me incredulously.

Nozel doesn't smile, but his gaze softens just a little. "Well... I'm glad you're alive." Despite his cold, hard exterior, we have a little understanding between the two of us... I'll always be thankful for how he stood up for me at my trial, all those years ago, even if ultimately we were all powerless to do anything about it.

"Oh, that reminds me," Julius suddenly says, as if he can read my mind. Noelle leaves my side to go scold Asta for being irresponsible or whatever. "When he pronounced you dead, the King gave me permission to pardon you of your so-called crimes. The pardon was given 'posthumously' this morning."

"A-a pardon?" I repeat, surprised that Augustus went through with that. "Darn... maybe I should fake my death again, then maybe he'll even restore my rank!"

"Absolutely not," Julius scolds lightly before turning to the others. "Now... what's going on with Fuegoleon?"

Nozel and the others explain quickly, and I feel my heart fall with every word they say. Fuegoleon was warped away briefly via spatial magic, and when he returned he was unconscious and missing an arm. It took everything Mimosa had to keep him alive, and now he was in a coma up in the medical tower. "Leopold was injured, too..." Nozel concluded. "They called themselves the Eye of the Midnight sun."

The name hangs in the air between us, weighing the mood down even more.

"So... we have no idea when Fuegoleon will wake up..." Julius said, to no one in particular. "Losing a man like him will be quite a blow. Because of my lack of foresight..." He shakes his head, dismissing the thought, but Charlotte spoke up before he could go on.

"Sir, it wasn't your fault. It was ours, we failed to control the situation," the Blue Rose captain states. "And besides... if you didn't leave, you wouldn't have been able to bring back the two people they took from us." Her gaze flickers over to me, and I swear she smiles just a little bit. "This whole attack seemed to be orchestrated in order to isolate and harm Fuegoleon."

"Yes... it seems like that. I'm sure they predicted that his loss would harm us." But by the tone of his voice, I'm sure Julius is considering something more. "This is the second time, after all, that this organization has set up an orchestrated effort _within_ the capital to abduct one of us. It really makes you think..." He sighed and shook his head, and I feel a few eyes turn towards me. "But anyway... The only thing I can ask of you now is to continue protecting this Kingdom's peace. Give it your all... it's crucial that we keep fighting at this time."

"Yes sir!" the others quickly reply with a salute. However, Nozel does not join him. His gaze is so icy, it's bringing the ambient temperature down to below freezing. "Sir, excuse us," he says quietly, before sweeping away with his two siblings in tow.

"Well... that's not very nice of him," I hear Asta mutter to himself.

Julius, however, smiles a little. "They say that you shouldn't wake a sleeping lion... but in this case, our enemy may have awoken a sleeping eagle."

I can imagine how angry Nozel must be right now. It wasn't a secret that he and Fuegoleon had a longstanding rivalry. Nozel wanted to win that fight himself, not have his rival's future stolen away in such an unfair manner. 

_Fuegoleon..._ I can't help but think back to those days I spent in the same squad as him. They feel like centuries ago now... memories turned bittersweet.

_Fuegoleon... don't you dare die!_

The group starts to break apart, and I start to walk towards the medical tower with the intent of marching up to see Fuegoleon for myself. But Juilus doesn't let me, grabbing my arm before I pass him. "I think we should get you home," he tells me softly, his eyes still watching the others. "Today has given me much to discuss with you... but," I don't resist as his arm wraps possessively around my waist. "You've been through more than anyone. Come on."

"...alright." I lean my head on his shoulder and close my eyes, letting him whisk me back to the castle... back home.

_Home._

A brigade of guards and staff are there to greet us, including Marx, who sprints up to me with tears in his eyes. We don't even need to say anything as I let him embrace me, babbling about how worried he was and everything. "Don't worry, Marx, she's back with us, now." Marx finally releases me, telling Julius that the King wants to see him ASAP, of course. The capital was just attacked, so I'm sure everyone is still in damage control mode. Julius, however, stays calm as he guides me away from the crowd. I hardly pay attention to where we're going, my feet shuffling along robotically. "I'll go see the King after I'm done taking care of you," Julius tells me on the way, and I just nod hazily.

Suddenly, I blink, and we're in our room, a place I was sure I would never see again. My emotions, already put through the ringer today, are on thinner ice than they've been on in years, and I almost start crying at the familiar sights and smells of this room. Julius rubs my shoulders reassuringly before gently touching a strand of my hair. "Looks like someone needs a haircut," he teases, coaxing a smile from my weary lips. "Come on, these clothes are soaking wet."

As Julius throws my dirty clothes out of sight and puts me in the bathtub, I can't help but notice how... calm he's being. He's usually more clingy than this, especially if I had to be away for a while. And this time I was actually kidnapped and pronounced dead. Yet, he's holding it together, not talking much as he carefully washes my hair himself. He hasn't even tried to kiss me. I sit there and draw my knees up, hugging them close and resting my chin on them, relishing the feeling of his hands in my hair. I feel worse than I have for a while, and I don't even remember anything that happened between the attack and my escape. Nothing except a strange... prodding sensation in my mind. But I'm the least of my worries right now...

"Julius?"

"Yes?"

I bite my lip, trying to think of what to say. _He has to be strong, in front of all the captains and knights. The entire kingdom is terrified right now..._

"Are you... okay?"

He only lets the question hang in the air for a couple moments before letting out a heavy sigh. Then, to my surprise, he leans forward and wraps his arms around me from behind, not caring that my dripping hair is about to get him wet. I feel his face press into my bare shoulder, his eyes squeezed shut as his grip tightens around me. _...I thought so._ Gently, I reach up to hold onto his arms, one of my hands landing on top of his. I rub a little circle into his soft skin, just as he would do for me many times. 

"...I will be," Julius finally answers, lifting his head slightly to rest on my shoulder. "I've never been so scared in my entire life... even all those years ago, I knew that we could get out of it together. This time... I thought you were going to die alone somewhere, and there was nothing I could do. I was helpless..."

His voice breaks.

I quickly turn around and wrap my arms around his neck as he buries his face in my shoulder once again. Julius doesn't cry very much, but now, he's overwhelmed and shaken by everything that's happened, just as I am. At the end of the day... he's a human being, just as fragile as the rest of us. He's still just skin and bone like the rest of us.

I run my hand through his blonde hair, closing my eyes and willing myself to not cry as well. It's a futile task, but I try. Even as both of us let out everything we've been feeling, I can't help but feel happy that I can even be here to hold him, and be held by him. "But... Julius," I finally say, whispering against his skin. "You _found_ me. We found each other. You said it yourself, back in the tunnel."

Slowly, he nods, finally sitting up to look down at me again, one of his hands holding my face tenderly. His tears are already drying, as a smile graces his features once more.

_I'll always find you._

Because he's my other half... we are a Dyad.

Julius dries me off and puts me in bed after that, his hands refusing to leave me even then. I know he has to go see the King soon, but he can't bring himself to leave now, not as he just got me back. "...we'll do something about your hair in the morning," he says, his thumb sweeping across my cheek as he gazes down at me. I nod, smiling up at him. I don't feel tired, of course, but it'll be nice to shut my eyes anyway. "You're okay here for a while?"

"Yeah... but before you go..." I can tell he's been itching to do it for a while, so I humor him at last. I lean up and close my eyes, letting my lips press against his in a long awaited kiss. He holds me there for a long time, just relishing the feeling, before reluctantly pulling back. "...when I get back, I'm going to kiss you all night. No, I'm going to kiss you for a month straight," he promises, his goofy tone starting to come back.

The thought makes me giggle as I push him to leave. "I'll take that challenge... I'm not going anywhere."

"You better not!"

With one last glance back at me, Julius leaves, softly shutting the door behind him. I'm alone once again... but I know that he's not going to leave me that way for long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So, MC is back, everyone's happy, etc. I need some input on the future of this fic... I have the "endgame" planned out already, and I'm planning on MC being involved in the Ocean Temple arc (bc it's my favorite), but other than that I have no concrete plan lol. So, if you guys have a preference for a plot point/scene/spicy scene/etc for me to write, please tell me in the comments so I can work it in! Thank you guys in advance!


	60. the barber king

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Filler chapter while I figure out what to do next lol. Will probably make chapter 61 a smut chapter if you wish it.

"Such powerful and precise time magic... his attack only grazed me for an instant, yet..." 

Licht pulled up his sleeve to examine his withered, ruined arm. It would take forever for it to be healed, even with powerful magic. "I expect nothing less of the Clover Kingdom's Wizard King."

"Master." Valtos bowed his head, feeling ashamed. "I'm truly sorry. We allowed Geork and Catherine to be taken, and allowed our hostage to escape."

"Don't apologize, my faithful servant." Licht turned to him with a kind smile. "Because of your efforts, I obtained the magic stone. It won't be long now..." his eyes narrowed. "Not long until we can take our true forms." Valtos hid a happy smile at being praised by Licht, while Licht's own gaze moved out over the crowd of hooded figures in the cavern below him. _Not only that... if she hadn't escaped, I wouldn't have seen that strange power..._ It was a chilling thought, but Licht had to admit that her mana was distinctly similar to the Wizard King's. It wasn't due to something like Raia's copy magic either, no... it was her own.

_This is ancient magic that I've never heard of. I remember, several years ago, there was a strange event that took place one night that involved the two of them. William wasn't there to witness it, but William noticed the change. It's truly bizarre... I'll have to look into it further. I don't know why, but this feels like it could be a threat._

* * *

"So, bangs or no bangs?"

"...bangs, I think."

"You got it!"

Julius is a very talented man in many different areas, but I never expected him to be so good at cutting hair. When I first moved in, he caught me leaving to go get a haircut, immediately grabbed me, marched me back upstairs, and sat me down in a chair. I had no idea what was happening until he came back with a pair of scissors in his hands. _"Julius?! What are you doing with those?"_

_"What do you think? I'm going to cut your hair!"_

_"What!?? No!"_

I struggled, but it was no use. Three inches of hair and a _Chrono Stasis_ later, Julius pushed me in front of a mirror. _"Ta-da! See?"_

To my surprise, it was a perfect trim. No loose ends, nothing! Julius gloated about it for several days straight, making me call him the "Barber King" and "Master Haircutter" to further stroke his ego. And so, I never had to leave the castle to get my hair cut again, which I guess I appreciate, especially now.

We're still for a while as he combs my hair and starts snipping away, humming to himself as he does so. I stare at the ground, listening to the sound of the scissors as he works. It's almost relaxing, something I desperately need to do right now. My joints are still sore from the fight yesterday, and my whole body still feels yucky from being stuck in that weird tank for a month. Julius and I _did_ make out for a long time last night before bed, but luckily he didn't try to initiate anything more. I don't know if I would survive that right now. "...so... what did the King say?"

"He was furious," Julius replied, continuing to work. Like most barbers, he loves to chat while he cuts hair. "He yelled at me for a while about leaving, and I finally got the chance to tell him that you were alive and safe. _That_ shut him up."

"He was that shocked?"

"Yep." Julius chuckled to himself. "But in the end he said he was glad. Maybe that old fool can finally get over himself. Anyway, we got a plan together for securing the city and starting the investigation into this 'Eye of the Midnight Sun,' and at the end he said he wanted us to meet with the Captains as soon as you're feeling up to it. Maybe tomorrow."

"...I see." He's standing in front of me now, hands skillfully pulling my hair in front of my face, the scissors quickly getting to work. I try and stay as still as possible, since this is the part that I really don't want him to mess up. "Anything new with Fuegoleon?" Part of me was hoping that he just needed a couple hours in that coma before he woke up again, as loud and proud as usual.

Julius lets out a short sigh. "Nothing... his condition stabilized, but he shows no signs of waking. They're going to keep him in the medical tower for a few more days, then move him to his home." The news isn't very promising, but I don't have much time to take it in before he steps back. "There... all done."

I finally reach up and touch my hair, a smile growing on my face quickly. "Perfect, as usual."

"That's because I'm the Barber King," he tells me with a wink before starting to brush the cut hair off of my clothes. "Do you need anything?"

"..." I think about it for a couple seconds. Nothing comes to mind, so I say something I know he'll like. "...you."

I don't think he was expecting that. Julius raises an eyebrow, but quickly grins. "Is that so? I guess you should thank me for giving you such a nice haircut." His fingers gently play with the end of a strand of hair as he speaks, low-key admiring his work. Without giving me any time to respond, he leans down and kisses me, one hand on my face and another on my shoulder. I close my eyes and kiss back slowly, running a hand through his hair as I feel him press closer-

"Give it a rest, you two! She's been back for less than a day and you're already getting distracted again!"

We both know that voice. Julius sighs heavily before turning around to see Marx closing the door behind him, no qualms whatsoever for breaking up the party in here. "Sorry, Marx. I suppose it's kind of nice, this situation hasn't happened for a month or so!" Both of us exchange a glance and can't help but giggle, much to Marx's ire. However, the blue-haired man can't help but smile a little as well. 

"Anyway," he clears his throat. "Julius, the capital was just attacked, you can't expect me to wait around while you get it on. The cleanup operation is underway but a few groups are still awaiting instructions from you. Then we should go downstairs and interrogate the two prisoners. As for you," He turns to address me. "You said you don't remember anything about your abduction. Let me look into your memories, I might be able to find a clue."

"That's a good idea." I stand up with Julius's help and brush myself off. "Don't worry about me, Julius, I'm not going anywhere."

"You better not-" He warns, blowing me a kiss before hurrying to leave the room. 

Marx sighs as the door closes before turning back to me. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay," I tell him quickly with a smile. "Do you want to check the memory now?"

"Sure, if you're up to it."

I give him a nod, and he quickly readies his Grimoire. " _Memory Exchange Magic: Memoire Absolute."_ A moment later, and my memories spring to life on screens much like his communication spell. Marx narrows his eyes as he watches the events through my eyes, waving his hand to rewind certain spots. "There's no attackers visible..."

"That's probably my fault," I say sheepishly. "I had my nose buried in my notebook."

"I can see that." Marx rewinds again, to the moment where I was attacked. Bright flashes of light flared up right before my vision goes dark. "Those attacks aren't familiar to me... do you remember what the mana felt like?"

I shake my head slowly, thinking hard. "No, I can't... it all happened so suddenly, I didn't have time to react or anything," I tell him sadly, furrowing my brow at the memory. "I didn't see _anyone_ around on that street either, so I can't even suggest any suspects."

"It must have been an extremely coordinated attack," Marx mutters, waving his hand and releasing the spell. "They knew they had to take you down quickly, in just once attack. Julius and I were discussing this last night... but we found it strange that the attack yesterday was even able to occur. A quick investigation revealed that a group of our barrier mages were knocked out shortly before the attack started."

My eyes widen at this new information as I sink back down into my chair. "No... how on earth were they able to do that? The only people with access to that part of the city walls are-"

"Magic Knight captains... and other high-ranking officials," Marx finishes, his gaze grim. I suck in a breath, the meaning dawning on me. Somebody was able to give the Eye of the Midnight Sun enough information about me to pull of the abduction, but also coordinate an attack on the barrier mages. "...you think one of them betrayed us?"

"Yes." Marx sighed and turned to look out the window. "I never thought this would happen, but it's the mostly likely explanation."

My mind is reeling. _A Captain? Betrayed us?_ Anger starts to bubble up in the pit of my stomach, bringing a bitter taste into my mouth. _Who could it be? Not Fuegoleon... Probably not Nozel or Charlotte either, they were both involved in the attack. Unless they set things up beforehand-_ The thought of Nozel or Charlotte being responsible for the pain I had to go through just makes me feel more distressed. _William is mysterious, but both he and Yami are my oldest friends. I don't think either of them would ever do something to hurt me... unless they didn't know about it-_

"Hey." I suddenly get brought back to reality when Marx touches my shoulder. "We could be wrong. But it's just an avenue we have to check out." He gives me a comforting smile. "Whoever it is... we'll catch them. They took you away from us for so long, we can't forgive them for that, or for what they've done to Fuegoleon and this city."

"...yeah." I manage to smile a little, squeezing his hand momentarily before he pulls away. My face falls a little at the thought of everyone being worried about me, all just because I wasn't careful enough. "I'm sorry about all of that... I should have been more careful." My breath starts to become tight. "I just... hate thinking about how Julius must have felt, all that time. And you, too. If Julius ever disappeared like I did... I don't know how I would be able to go on."

Marx lets out a sigh, the memory obviously painful for him. "I won't sugarcoat it... it was really bad. None of us here were feeling right. Julius least of all. He was like a zombie. But-" I look back up to see him smiling. "He never gave up. He knew you were alive, and that he just had to wait for your signal. And now... you're back home." 

His words manage to comfort me, but I still can't swallow the anger I felt when I thought about the traitor. "...you're right, of course." I smile brightly and stand up once again. "Now, is there any work to be done?"

"Thank god you asked," Marx groans comically. "There's an untouched pile of paperwork on Julius's desk, you could go start digging through that," he suggests.

"Aye aye," I salute with a giggle before walking off to get to work.

When Marx said "untouched pile," what he meant to say was "untouched _piles_." Because that's what Julius left me to sort through, three teetering towers of papers. "Jesus, he really hasn't been productive!" I whisper to myself, grabbing a chunk off the top and moving to sit down in his chair. It's comfortingly familiar, and I remember all the times we spent squeezed together in this chair, working hard (or just fooling around). But there's no fooling around for me today, not with the skyscraper of work in front of me. Steeling myself for the ordeal, I pick up a pen and start to flip through the documents as efficiently as possible.

After many years of this job, my forgery of Julius's signature is immaculate. Not even Marx can tell the difference. Lunch time comes and goes, but I really don't notice, I just keep plowing through the work. I don't look up from the desk until the door swings open, revealing the owner of this office. "Oh, if it isn't the Wizard Queen," Julius greets me cheekily, making his way over to me.

"Nice of you to show up, _Barber King,_ " I shoot back, setting down my pen momentarily. "How are things going?" I feel oddly detached from all the wreckage below, way up here in the office. But this is probably better work for me to do at the moment, anyway. I doubt I would be much help with the cleanup operation.

"Pretty good so far. Most of the areas have been secured, and temporary living-areas have been set up for those who were displaced," he tells me quickly, moving behind my chair to peer out the window. "I have bad news, though... the two prisoners we captured, they both have some sort of memory lock on them, so Marx can't search them for information."

"Oh no! That's horrible," I grumble, dismayed by this information. "Do you think they may know who the traitor is?"

"Ah, Marx told you about that." Julius turns back around to look down at me. As usual, he looks very good from below. "They might have that information. We just need a way to unlock it."

I nod slowly before turning back to the work on the desk, picking up my pen once again. "I can go down and do some research later if you want." A nice night in the library would be relaxing, at least. As much as I want to start getting involved in the investigation and tracking down these maniacs, I have to put my health first.

"That would be great... I might join you." I tense up a bit as I feel his hands suddenly clasp my shoulders. "Ouch!"

"Oh, sorry! I'm trying to give you a massage." His grip loosens and his hands rub my shoulders gently.

"I just got the shit beaten out of me yesterday, Julius. I'm fragile," I tell him, my voice teasing him slightly, but it feels good nonetheless. "I'm glad to hear that things have calmed down, though. How is Leopold doing?" The younger boy had been injured in the fight yesterday. He made a brief appearance at the end, but I haven't heard anything about him since. _He must be hurting bad... he and Fuegoleon were very close._ The boy would always come visit Fuegoleon, and eventually ended up joining the same squad.

"He's already back on his feet. He's a resilient one," Julius answers. "It looks like Asta and Yuno have another rival..."

I chuckle a little at the thought. "Yuno and Asta want your job, too? I don't now if they would if they knew how much paperwork came with it."

"They definitely do... they asked me upfront about it yesterday! I told them that it doesn't just take pride or talent... it's merit, you know?" Julius's movements slow a bit at the thought. "I spent years hurrying to build up my accomplishments to get here. I'm glad to see that many young people are ready to do the same."

_Yes... but Asta doesn't even have magic, does he? He's farther away than all of them..._

But there was something about him. The way he didn't break under the pressure at his exam, how he stood up to Yami to earn the man's respect. And just yesterday, he rose to his feet, unassisted, after witnessing the true power of the Wizard King. Asta oozed with determination and excitement. It would be dumb of me to discount him so early on. "I'm looking forward to watching them all over the next few years," I muse, still writing as I talk. "But also..." I can't help but smile as my thoughts shift to my _own_ future. "I'm looking forward to our path as well."

Julius's movements pause, only for me to feel his lips on the top of my head a moment later.

"So am I."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the filler chapter, I still need to plot some stuff out. Like I said, next chapter will probably be spicy lol. But then it's back into the actual plot.


	61. (***)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Idek what to call this chapter so just enjoy these two filthy people lol ;)

Marx and I ended up spending much of the evening and night together, searching through the library for any information regarding memory protection spells. Marx himself didn't have one, and the books we dug up weren't the most helpful. The one reference to a memory protection spell stated that it lingered until the caster released it. "Well, that's just great," Marx mutters to himself, closing the book. "I'm done for the night, I don't know about you."

"Yeah, I should probably at least try to sleep," I agree. "Goodnight, Marx!" Also, Julius has inexplicably failed to come visit. I assume that he probably got called away to deal with something else, which is fine, that's his job after all. I always tell him to be Wizard King first, then my boyfriend, which is advice that he sometimes listens to. Usually it ends up being Magic Geek first, then my boyfriend, THEN Wizard King. That man is impossible, honestly... 

But I have to admit, it's only been a couple of hours and I already miss him. Cuddling with him in the library is one of our favorite pasttimes, since it reminds me of when we first started flirting with each other. It doesn't matter though; I'll be waiting for him in our room when he finally gets to bed.

Well, turns out, he's the one waiting for me... although, from the look of things, he wasn't expecting any visitors. 

"Oh, Julius! You're here-" I'm halfway through the door, but freeze as soon as I see what he's doing. _Huh... I didn't know he was_ this _needy... he put on a good mask all day at least..._ I had been wondering when he was going to become super needy again, but I didn't expect to walk in on him vigorously pleasuring himself in our bed. My words register maybe 2 seconds later and his eyes pop open, immediately looking horrified. My eyes travel from his face, then down to his- uh, you know- then back to his face. Finally, I move, pushing the door closed behind me. "...is that my underwear?" I ask quietly, looking back down at the thing he has gripped in his hand. 

Julius gulps, his composure faltering. "No... It's your- umm- tights..."

"Oh." 

I've only caught him like this one other time, so I'm still getting over my initial shock. It was years ago, back when we had only had sex maybe 3 times before. I was visiting, and tried to find him in the castle. By searching every hall, I finally walked in on him in some remote sitting room. I'd never seen a man... doing that to himself so I was kind of petrified. Julius panicked but once he realized it was me, he didn't miss a beat. He got up, locked the door, and promptly bent me over the nearest surface to finish us both off. Several times. I remember it vividly... for obvious reasons. 

"Do you... need some help?" I finally say, dissolving the tension quickly.

Julius's face is still flushed with embarassment, but he quickly mirrors my sly smile. "Yes. Get over here."

I can't get to him quick enough. Within seconds he has me pushed under him, his knee nudging roughly between my legs. His lips hit mine, almost feverishly hot, his free hand propping himself up while the other continues to pump. "That's such a cute little uniform you're wearing," he mumbles, his voice strained slightly as he's already worked himself pretty far. "It would be a shame if I soiled it, huh?"

His words and his touch are already sending all my senses reeling, every part of me craving him. It was as if seeing him like this flipped a switch, turning me into some needy creature not unlike himself. "...sorry," Julius breathes, his movements suddenly slowing. He lifts his face from mine only to bury it in the sheets next to my head, still hunched over me. "I haven't touched my- well, done this since you disappeared," he whispers, sounding a little ashamed for his sudden desperation. "I felt... guilty..."

My hands slide around him and wrap around his shoulders, holding him close. _I guess we're both still pretty tender from this whole thing..._ I think, moving my head slightly to kiss his temple. "It's okay... We've both waited for this for so long," I whisper back, arching my body slightly against his. I don't want him to feel guilty about anything. "You can do whatever you want... you can even be rough. I-I want you so bad right now..."

He sucks in a breath at my words, and I know he's already getting back to normal. He sits up, his eyes moving over me hungrily while his hand continues to stroke his hard cock. His other hand rests firmly on my neck, his thumb tracing my chin. The feeling of his knee grinding between my legs already has me trembling, and I start to close my eyes before his hand tightens slightly. "Keep your eyes open," he says softly, biting his lip a little as I obey. "Look at what you're doing to me."

His thumb pushes through my lips, and he lets out a soft groan at the feeling. His movements speed up, and I take the opportunity to suck a little. With a sharp gasp, he buries his face back into my shoulder and I feel something warm splatter all over my breasts and stomach. The feeling makes me shiver a bit, not helping my own burning need. Julius catches his breath, "kindly" wiping his hand off on my skirt before sitting up, still looking flushed but with a satisfied smile on his face. "Oops? I guess you should probably take this off now~"

The moment I manage to toss my clothes away, Julius pushes me down again and immediately smothers my body with a trail of kisses, leaving one teasingly at the apex of my thighs. "Fingers or tongue?" he asks, licking his lips invitingly. 

"...both," I answer after a moment of thought, smirking as his eyebrows raise up. 

"Oh? You're greedy today?" he teases, his hands resting heavily on my thighs. "In that case, maybe neither."

"No! Please!" The words come out before I can stop them, and I'm immediately embarassed by the whine. "I-I-I mean, whatever you think is best... Wizard King~"

His pupils dilate. Luckily, Julius chuckles at that before kissing my sensitive skin lightly. "Ah, you know exactly how to get your way, don't you?"

"Mhmm-" Is all I can really answer as he finally darts his tongue out into me, accompanied by a long, curved finger as promised. I close my eyes and let myself relax; he's going much slower than usual, his movements lazy yet precise. I rake my fingers through his hair gently, my other hand slowly gripping the sheets next to me tighter and tighter. It feels good, still, but it's not too much. He doesn't try to overstimulate me like usual, just letting me ride it out on his fingers while he watches me come undone. He's silent, almost mesmerized, leaning down to kiss me softly once I start to catch my breath. 

I'm almost dizzy from pleasure, but he's already pulling me into his lap. Julius's skin is bare against mine by now, his clothes discarded. I whimper a bit, something about the skin contact feels just so... intimate. Something both of us were deprived of for far too long, something he's desperate to experience again.

"Are you alright?" He asks quietly, receiving a quick _yes_ in return. My body is still aching and out of wack from the past month, but it's nothing compared to the desire I'm feeling right now. "Ok, good." He holds me securely against his chest, and I cry out softly as he finally fills me up with his cock. "Too much?" It's a lot to take for sure, and my body is definitely not used to being invaded like this again, but it feels good, so I shake my head. He kisses my hair softly before laying down again to be more comfortable. He sets a gentle pace at first, letting me adjust to the feeling and stifling a few groans into my shoulder. "God- S-so good-" he moans out, more desperate than I've ever heard him before. 

His hand slides down my body, feeling up my ass before suddenly smacking it once. My body jerks against his and he inhales sharply at the feeling. "Hmm, you missed this, didn't you?" he mumbles in my ear, his cheek pressed burning hot against mine. "Tell me."

His hips speed up, causing me to hold onto him tighter, my legs around his hips securely. "I missed you so much," I moan into the night. For some reason, a feeling of distress starts to build up. "Please, Julius- I- I need you so much, I-"

"Shh, shh, I know," Julius whispers gently, halting my pleading. "It's alright, I'm here, I'm all yours." His hand cups my face as he pulls back just enough to stare into my eyes. His words and touch calm me instantly, my mind forgetting the trauma of just yesterday. Slowly, he leans back in to press his forehead into mine, and I instantly feel my pleasure multiply. With a strangled cry, I finally cum, spazming beneath him as he watches the show appreciatively. "You always look so pretty when you cum for me, such a good girl." Julius grunts out as his hips snap against mine again and again. "So sweet and tight- good girl- so good for me-"

He's not making much sense as he reaches his orgasm as well, his pace stuttering as he finally empties himself into me. I arch my back into his hips, taking it all like the good girl I am. God, it's been so long since I heard him say that...

He flops down on top of me, actually tired this time. Usually his limit is far higher than two, but it was a long day for both of us. Even so, I'm sure that men far younger can't manage to be even that energetic. 

Eventually, Julius rolls off of me and wipes off his sweaty forehead as he gets up to walk to the bathroom. I open my eyes to watch him go, a little smile growing again on my features. _God, he's so hot._

About two minutes later, I hear the familiar sound of a bathtub being filled, then Julius makes his reappearence. "Come on," he prompts, but obviously doesn't actually expect me to stand up so he scoops me up in his arms again. He steps into the tub and lowers both of us. I shiver a bit at the feeling of the warm water on my chilly skin. "Can you make it a little hotter?"

"...of course." Julius steels himself before turning the temperature higher. "The only downside to bathing with a fire magic user... you can tolerate the scalding water!" We both giggle a little as he gets used to it and wraps his arms around me. "You okay? I hope that wasn't too much-"

"Julius, it was great," I assure him, nestling myself between his legs and resting against his chest. "I'm glad we can go back to doing this every day. I'm alive... thanks to you."

"Thanks to me? You're the one who broke yourself out. You even fought a Light Magic user," he reminds me, playing with the ends of my hair. "I just took the glory at the end."

"Hey!" I swat his hand playfully, earning a giggle in return. "I couldn't stay away from the man I loved for any longer..." my voice becomes a bit solemn at the though, but I shake it away. "I'm not going anywhere now."

"Good." Julius kisses the back of my neck lightly. "Neither am I. I love you."

He cleans us off quickly before getting back in bed. I listen to his snores and imagine the two vultures high above. I should at least try to sleep; I'm sure tomorrow will be another long day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time... the New Captain. A captain's meeting is held, and decisions about the future are made.


	62. the new captain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Please interact with this story I need validation lol
> 
> 2\. Also, I'm nearing the end of my summer semester so there's a lot of stress atm, talking to you guys and writing really helps me escape all that :)

"Dang, for a woman who runs completely on mana, you sure eat a lot."

"Shut up," I mumble through a mouthful of scrambled eggs, already bringing another forkful towards my mouth. Julius wasn't around when I woke up in the morning, so I had someone bring up some food for me to try and eat. It's the first meal I've had in more than a month, and it really is hitting different than usual. There was bacon and toast as well, but those have already disappeared down the hatch. The eggs were next, but now I'm being rudely interrupted. "These eggs are tasty..."

Julius lets out a snort of laughter before walking all the way inside, leaning down and kissing my head briefly. I shy away, still focused on the food. "I meant no offense. You slept in pretty late, too."

I swallow and reach for the orange juice that was brought to me. "You know that happens sometimes. I hypnotize myself so well that I don't even wake up!"

"Isn't that kind of concerning?" I glance over at Julius, who's now rooting through the closet. He turns back to me, holding the clothes he picked out. 

"Nah, it's probably fine. You'll shake me awake eventually," I say, gulping down the rest of the eggs before standing up and taking the clothes from him. "Thank you... what do I have to do to get you to pamper me like this _all_ the time?" I ask with a wink.

Julius returns it with a chuckle. "I _do_ pamper you all the time. Did you forget? Now, get dressed, we can do our work together today."

"Alright, alright!" I push him away playfully and he goes to sit on the edge of the bed, leaning back on his hands to stretch his arms a little. "What were you up doing so early anyway?"

"It's not early, it's nearly noon," he shoots back. "And I was meeting with the King. We made a decision about the Crimson Lions. Well-" He shrugs. "Kind of."

"Kind of?" I slip off my bathrobe and unfold my dress. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"...We're going to talk about it at the meeting later. It's complicated, I don't want to go over it more than once."

For some reason, it almost seems like he's dodging the question. "Oh... alright." I glance over at him, realizing that he may not be hiding something, he's just occupied by watching me get dressed. "Do you have to stare at me the whole time?"

"Yes." His face breaks into a smile as I blush, averting my eyes and trying to ignore the piercing gaze as I pull on my dress and jacket. I'm still interested in what he and the King decided on for the Crimson Lions. Who was going to take over? We have no idea when or _if_ Fuegoleon is going to wake up, so whoever gets made captain now could be captain for a long time. My best guess is Randall, the current vice captain, but something about him makes me think that he's not quite ready yet.

My thoughts are interrupted as I start to pull up my tights, but apparently that's all Julius can take. Two large hands suddenly grab my hips and pull me against him, earning a sharp gasp. "On second thought-" He whispers in my ear. "Maybe you should put off getting dressed for a couple more minutes-"

"Huh? Julius! Get off me-" I object, squirming a little in his grip. "Don't we have appointments soon?"

"Oh, _you_ do. Right now. A dick appointment."

As crazy as that is, he doesn't get far with his scheme before his communicator starts going off, a familiar voice yelling through. "Sir! The Captains are arriving!"

"Of course they are." Julius sighs and lets go of me, letting me straighten myself out before opening the door. "Come on, let's go see them. I'm sure Yami and William will be happy to see you."

My annoyance dissipates at the mention of my friends, and I can't help but smile. "Right... I'm sure Asta mentioned my rescue to Yami." I grab my cloak before following Julius out, hand in hand. "I hope they weren't too worried..."

"When we were investigating your disappearance, we had them both interviewed, since they were the last captains to see you that night," Julius explains as we walk. "I didn't hear much from either of them afterwords. I'm sure they were both... grieving. Yami did ask to help out in anyway he could, but by that point the investigation had already lost much of its steam."

"They didn't want to spend that money on me, huh?" The thought isn't surprising, but still makes me feel a little bitter. If they had put in just a little more time, maybe they would have found me earlier. Instead, I had to wait until I had enough strength to break myself out and call out to Julius. "Well, I didn't need them in the end."

"No, you didn't." Julius squeezes my hand as we reach the ground floor, right in the middle of the Magic Knights Headquarters. A few minutes later, he pushes open the door to the conference room, revealing the captains standing around. Their attentions are immediately pulled towards us, many of them immediately shocked by the sight of me, in person, alive. Their chatting drops off instantly, an uncomfortable silence pervading the space. Julius clears his throat. "Hello everyone! As you can see-"

"Y-You're back!" The first person to break the tension is none other than Rill, the young captain of the Aqua Deer. "We heard that you died! Did you discover a reincarnation spell or something?!"

Charlotte and Nozel hang towards the back, since they were both already aware of my return. Gueldre stares at me with wide eyes, closely set in his ham-like face, while Rill, Dorothy, and Jack crowd around me and start talking all at once.

"The Aqua Deer did a search in the forest near our base! We didn't find anything, but the moon was really pretty that night!"

"Ka ka, I can't believe you let yourself get kidnapped. I would never go down without a fight!"

"zzzzzz"

I blink a few times, a little overwhelmed by all of the sudden attention. "Oh, hi everyone... uh-"

"You have some kinda nerve!" I shriek a little as I feel someone's large, rough hands grab my shoulders. I look up to see none other than Yami glaring down at me, a frightening aura around him. "Disappearing on like that? Making us all worried sick? For god's sake, next time you fake your death, I'm going to kill you myself, for real!"

Despite his rough words, his cigarette is tight between his teeth, his jaw strained. Slowly, my fear fades and I offer him a delighted smile. "Yami... I missed you, too."

He blinks, his anger quickly replaced by... relief. "Good. You better have!" He crosses his arms and frowns, his way of pouting.

I giggle a bit at his behavior before I feel a much gentler hand on my shoulder. "Don't be that way, Yami, it's been harder on her than anyone," Julius scolds lightly. Yami's eyes widen a bit, it's been years since Julius had actually scolded him about something. "Julius, it's fine, that's his way of saying he cares," I remind him, leaning into his touch before looking around. "That reminds me, where's..."

My voice trails off when I realize that William isn't here. Instead, there's a short young man with brown hair and a sour expression standing in the corner by himself. He's wearing the Golden Dawn uniform and robes, but it takes me a moment to recognize him as the Golden Dawn's vice captain. "...Langris Vaude? Where's William?"

"Captain Vangeance couldn't make it," Langris tells me flatly, his beady eyes narrowing slightly at the question. "He had a prior squad commitment, so I was sent in his place." He clears his throat, taking a few steps forward. "Mimosa, Klaus, and Yuno told us that you were rescued. The Captain told me to tell you that he is overjoyed to hear that you're safe and sound."

"...oh, that's nice of him. Too bad he isn't here," I say sadly before perking up again. "Thank you for the message, Langris."

He smiles momentarily before Marx clears his throat. "Sir, let's start this meeting. We have plenty to go over," he prompts.

"Right! Everyone," Julius claps his hands together once to get everyone's attention and to cut through the chatter. "Take a seat."

The captains quickly obey, sitting down on either side of the table. I stay standing next to Marx as Julius walks up to the head of the table, resting his hands on the back of his chair rather than actually sit down. "As you all now, we have quite a crisis on our hands. This terrorist organization, the Eye of the Midnight Sun, has openly declared war on our kingdom by attacking the capitol. Not only that, they managed to successfully capture and debilitate Fuegoleon Vermillion. This is the second time they've organized an abduction of one of our high-ranking officials." 

He's referring to me, of course. Julius steps back, pulling out the chair at the head of the table and gesturing towards me. "Do you mind if Marx shows them your memories?"

"Oh, sure." I quickly sit down, training my eyes on the surface of the table as everyone's attention once again focuses in on me. Marx quickly casts his spell and starts to display some of the clips of my encounters with the Eye of the Midnight Sun.

"So... you have no idea how you were actually attacked?" Gueldre is the first to speak up as he watches.

I nod in response. "Yeah... I wasn't paying attention, and the attack happened in an instant. I couldn't pick up on the mana at all."

"Interesting..." Nozel's eyes narrow as the "screen" flashes again and again, searching for any kind of detail. The man is quiet and contemplative today, but I know he's probably still furious about what happened to Fuegoleon. "What happened after that?"

"Well, I'm not exactly sure. They kept me in some sort of coma for a whole month. One of their people was developing methods of removing mana from someone's body, and I think that's what they were doing. Luckily-" I point at my forehead. "This mark allows me to draw mana from an outside source. It's a long story, but I was able to build up enough to wake up."

"Ka ka, that's kind of bizarre," Jack sneers, but he still looks a bit intrigued. 

"Who knew that creepy thing would come in handy one day," Yami adds, smirking a bit as I shoot a glare his way.

"So, then you just walked out?" Charlotte asks, rubbing her chin as she listens.

"Oof, I wish." I shiver a bit at the memory and give Marx a nod. He moves the memory forward, to when I was forced to fight for my life. The captains watch silently, with varying degrees of awe and fear on their faces. "I ran into their leader on the way out. For some reason, he was determined to catch me alive."

"Is that... light magic?" Rill asks, his eyes wide and glassy as he watches the fast-paced fight.

"Damn, you gave him a hard time," Yami comments. "Why didn't you win?"

The question is a little blunt, but that's to be expected of Yami. "Well... I guess he decided to not hold back anymore." I thread my fingers together on the table, my brow furrowing slightly at the memory. "I managed to stun him for a short time, but instead of escaping I decided to stay and finish him off. We would have a lot less trouble that way. Eventually, he stopped holding back and blasted me with some huge attack." Right as it gets to that part, my memory starts to fade. "I don't remember it all too well, but it was overwhelming. I wasn't able to stop it and I blacked out."

I'm not exactly sure why... but the memory makes me angry. Part of me feels like I should have been able to defeat that guy, or at least escaped unharmed. I had the chance to, but I was so sure I could kill him, I ran right into it blindly. _Even after all this time... someone will always surpass me._ It was hard for me to believe that I could be defeated so quickly, after all the power I've managed to accumulate. Julius and I have used the Dyad spell only twice, at least properly. The first time was when we fought our grandparents. The second time was during the invasion of the Diamond Kingdom. It was a particularly hard spot, and the quickest way out of it was to take the enemy all out at once. So... we did. Instant White Hell shot through over 50 enemies, stunning them instantly. No one else was there to witness it close up, so Julius was able to take the credit for it instead of me. Not that I wanted everyone to know about that particular power, so it was fine. But after that second time, I noticed that my powers somehow increased even more from where they were before, just from that one instant. It was because of those powers that I was able to survive this most recent fight... 

But it still wasn't enough.

"...as you can see, the leader of this group is a very skilled Light Magic user. We don't know his name, and he was able to escape when I encountered him myself." I slowly realize that Julius has been talking to the group again after my testimony. "We don't have any more information on him, but I discovered something strange during my time at their former base." Marx is basically using me as a powerpoint right now, and he scrolls ahead to when I woke up to see the strange stone monolith. "The Eye of the Midnight Sun had several stones implanted in the symbol on this stone tablet. It's likely that the purpose of their attack two days ago was to steal the stone Fuegoleon was wearing. We don't yet know why they're doing this, but it doesn't take a genius to assume that it's for some ominous purpose."

"We captured two prisoners, didn't we?" Yami asks. "Why don't you just do the memory thing on them?"

" _Memory thing?"_ Marx repeats, aghast. "And it's not that simple. A powerful memory guard spell was placed on them, something that I've yet to encounter. We're currently researching how to break it. Until then, we can't ask them what their goal is."

 _He didn't mention the traitor,_ I think to myself, glancing around the faces of the captains again. _Gosh, it's hard to believe that one of these people could be the one who betrayed us... or anyone in this castle, really._ I don't want to think about it too much right now, so I focus on Julius's words instead. "For the time being, we'll assure the public that we'll do everything to keep them safe. We'll start searching for the enemy's new base, as well as other magic stones. Also..." He clears his throat. "The King and I made a decision about the Crimson Lion captainship. The new captain will be Mereoleona Vermillion."

There's a quiet stir of agreement among the captains, and I nod along with them. _That makes sense... the Crimson Lions have been lead by a member of house Vermillion since the very beginning. Mereoleona's strong, and people listen to her without question. Yeah, that's definitely the right choice_

"That being said, we don't actually know where she is right now..." Julius laughs nervously. "She explores the wilderness for 300 days a year, so it's going to take us a little while to track her down. The King gave me permission to promote someone to the position temporarily, to hold down the fort until Mereoleona arrives. So... I decided..."

I'm as eager as the others to hear who he chose, and I'm about to twist around to look up at him when I feel his hand land on my shoulder.

" _She_ will act as Captain."

_She?_

_Wait, he can't possibly mean-_

Yami straight up bursts out laughing while the others stare at me in shock. Many of them have known me for a long time, and have even fought beside me, but the announcement still knocks them off their feet. Even Dorothy ceases her snoring momentarily. "How can that be? I thought you were demoted indefinitely, no offense," Gueldre asks.

"You weren't at the honors ceremony the other day," Charlotte speaks up. "The King granted her a pardon and restored her rank."

"Exactly. After I promote you to Grand Magic Knight, you'll be more than qualified for the job."

"Grand Magic Knight?!!"

Out of everyone here, I'm definitely the most shocked. I open and close my mouth a few times, my face paling at the gravity of the situation starts to weigh down on me. Me?! A Captain?! That was a dream I had _years_ ago, but now Julius decides to saddle me with that? After everything that just happened? "J-Julius, are you sure?" I finally ask, lowering my voice slightly. "I mean... I'll do it, but-"

"Are you worried that you won't be able to keep it together?" I look up at the sound of Yami's voice to see him smirking at me, an odd pressure behind his words that sort of irks me. "I get it, you were only a real Magic Knight for a year, I wouldn't blame you if this was too much for-"

"It's not too much, I can do it!" I cut in, tapping my foot a little angrily. "I'm just as qualified as any of you!"

I realize too late that Yami was aiming to get me riled up like that, and he sits back in his chair with a satisfied smile on his face. "That's what I wanted to hear."

Embarrassed, I fall silent, just in time for Julius to let out a warm laugh to break the tension. "That's the spirit! Since that's out of the way, you're all dismissed." Julius smiles around at everyone. "As always... keep working hard."

Everyone shuffles out after that, and the door eventually swings shut to leave Julius, Marx, and I alone. I immediately whirl around to glare at Julius. "You could have at least _warned_ me about that," I tell him, pouting slightly. "Yami has a point, I was only an active Knight for a year. This is going to take some getting used to."

"You'll be fine! It's only temporary, right?" I nod slowly as he walks forward to grab my shoulders gently. "Hey. You're going to be fine, alright?" He smiles, bending down slightly to look me in the eyes. "Don't worry about your safety, either... Cobb will make sure you get home safely at night. I know there's probably a traitor in the magic knights somewhere, but the Crimson Lions has two people on it that we _know_ we can trust."

That catches my attention. "...Leopold, right? He can't be involved in this, if his brother was injured. Who's the other?"

"Your old friend, Horatio? We can trust him for sure."

I haven't been keeping in touch with Horatio much, only really meeting up with him each year at the Star Festival. The information makes me a little skeptical, though. "Oh? How do we know he isn't a traitor?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm 100% sure he's not." I look over in surprise as Marx steps forward. "As much as I hate thinking about it, I saw the inside of his mind, six years ago."

"That's right! I had to fight you like that," Julius remembers. "From what Marx saw and felt in those moments, you're sure he wouldn't betray us?"

Marx nods. "Exactly."

It makes sense, but I'm still a tad bit worried about this whole thing. Worst case scenario, I get kidnapped again. "As long as you stay close to those two, I doubt anyone's going to make a move to take you again," Julius assures me as if he can tell what I'm thinking. "Also... yes, you're qualified for this, but that's not the only reason I want you to rejoin the magic knights this way." I raise an eyebrow and look up at him expectantly. "These magic stones are linked to ancient, forbidden magic. Magic that hasn't been attempted since the time of the first Wizard King. If anyone knows the location of the stones, it would be someone who knows about that ancient world." My eyes widen when I realize what he means.

"...I want you to pay your family a visit."

He doesn't mean Lyra, Portia, and my mother. He means the other side of the family... the "weird side."

"...I see." Slowly, I manage to smile, and I feel him relax at the acceptance. "Sounds like a plan... when do I get started?"

Sure, this is an unexpected turn of events. But I'm going to give it everything I have. This Eye of the Midnight Sun won't stand a chance against us.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time... Chapter 63: the path of the stone. Becoming a captain is usually cause for celebration, but it's hard to enjoy it when the death of a close friend is hanging in the balance.


	63. the path of the stone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Alternate Title: MC battles impostor syndrome and plans a visit with the weird side of her family.
> 
> 2\. Thanks for all the support lately, it's getting me through summer finals lol

I started my new job as Magic Knights captain immediately the next day. I left my more formal advisor uniform dress behind in favor of something a little more casual. Julius had already procured a Crimson Lion cloak, and I can't help but pause to stare at it before I put it on. 

_So many memories..._

A long time ago, when I was forced to leave, Fuegoleon told me something that I remembered for a long time. _You'll always be a member of the Crimson Lion Kings._ Turns out that was more true than I realized... even if this wasn't the situation anyone expected. My heart clenches a little at the thought. _I'm never going to live up to him... but I can at least try. I'm sorry it had to be this way, Fuegoleon._

I put on the cloak, the weight vaguely familiar as it rests on my shoulders. Then, I leave the room to find Julius and the others. 

"Here's the paperwork that'll need to be done. You might as well take it with you. Oh, and here are some assignments to keep your squad busy:" Marx hands me a thick bound folder full of paper, which I reluctantly accept. "You may be captain now, but you still need to do your advisor work. I can't saddle it all on my own!"

"And this is _your_ mission," Julius adds, handing me yet another folder. "And don't forget-" He produces a small box and holds it out to me with a stupid grin on his face. "Lunch!"

 _Julius, this isn't my first day of school!_ I think to myself, but I accept the lunch all the same and smile up at him. "Thank you! I'm a little nervous, still..."

"Just be yourself. You'll be great, I know it." Julius gives me a peck on the lips before stepping back to let the spatial mage Cobb come forward. "We'll open another door around 9pm to bring you home."

"Sounds good!" I give the three of them one last wave before turning to walk through the door, instantly transporting me to a familiar courtyard. 

_The first time I saw this place, I was just 18. It was at night, right after the magic knights exam. I was so tired... that was when I first met Alana and Fernanleon. I didn't meet Fuegoleon until the next day, and he didn't even talk to me for a week! Not until we had to go on that first mission together. After that, I made so many good friends, people I knew I could count on. My squadmates..._

I stand there by myself for a moment before people realize that I've arrived. "Hey there. Nice to see you again." I turn towards the voice, seeing the vice-captain (Well, _my_ vice captain I suppose) Randall as well as a few of the senior knights walking over to me. Randall smiles in his usual laid-back way and gives me a small wave. "We were all glad to hear that you're safe and sound."

"Oh, thanks! It's good to see you guys too." I give them all a quick nod, which they warmly return. Among the group I spot Gareth and Ben as well as other familiar faces from my prior time on the squad. However, I don't fail to pick up on the strange tension between all of them. It's probably strange for them to greet their new captain while their old one is on the brink of dying. Even so, we have to make the best of things. "It's been a while... but I'm glad that you guys are around to help me. This is a weird situation for sure."

"I'll say! First captain Fuegoleon gets knocked out of commission, and now _you_ have to be our new captain? It almost sounds like a joke!"

If those words came from anyone else's mouth, I probably would have snapped, but luckily it's just none other than Horatio, my old antagonist and friend. I let out a heavy sigh through my nose but I can't help but smile over at his smirking face. "I missed you too, Horatio," I comment, earning a chuckle from the others. At least they're all used to this dynamic by now, even though it's been several years since it was normal. "Now, where is everyone?"

"I had them all gather in the cafeteria," Randall explains, holding out his arm in a gesture for me to follow. "Come, this way."

Oh boy. 

It's probably pretty obvious by now, but I've never been comfortable being the center of attention. I'd much rather work from the sidelines, like I do supporting Julius and the other advisors. A long time ago, I was starting to lose that fear, and let myself set the goal of become a Magic Knights Captain, which is the definition of "center of attention." However, that strength was shattered. Maybe it was because I was forced to bare everything in front of a crowd of ruthless nobles at my trial, who watched as my assault and love affair were revealed for all eyes to see. 

Whatever the reason, I need to put that fear aside now. I have a squad to take care of now.

"Hi... everyone."

My introduction is less than graceful. Many pairs of eyes stare up at me at the front of the cafeteria as I struggle to remain collected. I've been in many high-pressure situations before, but this is getting to me more than anything. The footsteps I'm standing in are far larger than my own. "I'm sure you're all aware of the current situation... until Lord Fuegoleon wakes up, his sister Mereoleona will be acting as your captain. However, since her location is unknown... _I_ will be filling the position temporarily."

No one makes any whispers or comments, but a few of them cast their eyes down momentarily. I gulp nervously, my heart pounding a little at the lack of affirmation. "... I know this is a big change. It's a big change for me, too. Some of you probably don't even know who I am. The short version is that I was once a part of this very squad, until a certain circumstance made me leave to work in the castle. However..." Slowly, I hear my own voice strengthen. "I've had the honor of fighting alongside magic knights for years, and I know what it means to be your comrade." I clench my fist and hold it up to show my resolution. "When Fuegoleon wakes up, we'll show him that we're still the great squad that he left behind!"

Finally, I get a few smiles and murmurs of approval. The energy in the room turns into something much more positive than it was before. In truth, I have no idea if Fuegoleon is going to wake up, but they need to stay optimistic, as do I. "Now, I'm sure you're all excited to get to work, so I came prepared with a couple missions for you all. Senior knights-" I quickly start handing out missions to the older members of the squad. They're all relatively simple, just patrols and smaller incidents, but it will keep them busy, and keep their minds off of their dying captain. "Each of you take a few of your younger members out, make sure they get some good experience," I tell them, getting nods in agreement.

"You got it, captain."

 _Captain._ It's really strange to hear that, but I manage to contain any emotions I feel. "Alright. Oh, I was wondering..." I look around the room, craning my neck to see all of the squad's faces. "Where's Leopold? I thought he was back?"

"He is," Randall tells me, his voice sounding a little sad. "He's... with Fuegoleon. He's hardly left his side."

"Oh, I see." I frown a bit at the news. _I hope Leo's okay... I want him and Horatio to come with me tomorrow, since I know I can trust him. I'll talk to him later today._ "So, uh, is there a place that I can work?"

"Yes, of course." Randall gestures for me to follow once again. As we leave the room and walk up the stairs, I suddenly realize that I've already let myself be alone with someone. _I need to be careful, I don't want to think that Randall is a traitor or anything, but Julius was right, I can't be too trusting of many people._ I make sure to be on guard as I follow him, but luckily he doesn't attack me or anything. Instead, he leads me to a very familiar office overlooking the base. "Here you are... this is Fuegoleon's office, you can use it for now, since you're captain and all."

He lets the door swing open so I can walk inside, a heavy wave of nostalgia hitting me. It's not a large office, but it's kept impeccably neat. Maps and books line the walls, organized carefully, while the desk has all the pens and papers stacked and lined up perfectly. _Fuegoleon's office... now it's mine?_ I don't have a real office back at the castle, I usually just do work in Julius's or, on rare occasions, the official advisor office, which is shared among a dozen people. But this one is mine...

"Thank you, Randall," I say, giving him a quick smile. "This is perfect."

"Good." Randall returns the smile before backing out. "If you need anything, let me know. I'll keep the ship running straight around here."

"Right. I'll join you later," I tell him, watching as he finally closes the door and leaves me alone.

_Whew... I got through the first 10 minutes okay._

I just did what I was told to do, handing out the missions and making sure that people were busy. But I still feel a weird sense of accomplishment. The least I can do is keep things afloat. With a heavy sigh, I walk over the the desk and sink down into the big chair, turning slightly to look out the window and down into the courtyard. Everything seems to be going well so far, with many groups getting brooms and heading out. Some of the younger knights are carting around cleaning supplies, which reminds me of my old daily chore back then... washing dishes. 

Marx gave me plenty of paperwork to do, so I get started, pulling it out of the folder and grabbing a pen. That's how the rest of the morning goes, and before I know it it's already lunch time. Julius was kind enough to pack me a lunch even though he knows that I don't need to... eat, and it would be rude to ignore it so I pause my work to open the little box. It's a seemingly normal sandwich, but since Julius prepared it, I have a feeling there's more to it than meets the eye. Sure enough, I take off the top slice of bread to reveal a strange design, fashioned out of mayonnaise, that probably used to be a heart before being smashed by the bread. _Did he do this himself? Or did he tell the cook to do it?_ Julius was no cook, but I'm sure he'd be able to make a simple sandwich. Either way, it's a nice gesture that lifts my mood for the duration of my meal.

After lunch, I decide I've had enough of paperwork so I leave the office to wander around with Randall for a bit. By this point I don't feel all that threatened by the man (I bet I could take him in a fight anyway) so I relax and allow myself to just chat with him. We round up some of the younger knights for an impromptu training session, heading out towards the woods on the edge of town.

"So, before you became our captain, what did you do again?" one of the junior knights asks me, walking behind Randall and I with his peers.

"I was a royal advisor!" I happily explain. "I mostly dealt with matters in Magic Knights HQ, as well as anything else the Wizard King needed."

There's a small chorus of _wows_ from the kids. "How did you escape? When you were kidnapped?" a girl asks.

I wince a little at the question, but they don't see. "Well, I used this magical mark on my head to store up mana," I tell them, pausing to point at my mark. "The bad guys were keeping me in a coma, but eventually I had enough mana to wake up and get out!" That's a very simplified version of the story, but the others seem impressed.

"Is that your magic, then? Storing mana?" 

"No, no. I have flame magic, just like your Captain and Leopold." I hold out my hand and let a puff of blue flame appear, reflected in the junior knights' wide eyes. "It's blue because it's super hot. But usually I don't keep it in this form." Without missing a beat, I turn and raise my hand as the flame concentrates into a single point. A second later, the super-hot bolt shoots out, blasting right through the trunk of a tree. The junior knights gasp and run over to the tree, seeing that the bolt only left a very precise scar through the wood. "See? It's all about concentrating your power into something... elegant." 

We stay out there for a few hours before heading back to the base, the younger knights running ahead of Randall and I. "You're a good teacher, you know how to get people to listen to you," Randall casually comments as we walk.

 _I hope so! If I can get Julius to listen to me, I can do the same to anyone,_ I think to myself, but keep that fact to myself. "Thank you... they remind me of myself all those years ago. Sometimes I regret not trying harder when I was 15!" I say with a little laugh. "I had to miss out on all that teenage fun."

Randall chuckles. "Damn, well, it's not as fun as you think. We have so many rules that they have to jump through. But they find their way to do it anyway... we all did, back then." He shoots me a cheeky grin. "Don't tell me you never snuck someone in at night, hmm?"

"Oh boy, I did," I tell him with a little cringe. "One time, Captain Yami and William tried to come visit me, but they got beat up."

"Ah! I remember that!" Randall laughs out, shaking his head a little. "Oh, youth... those days seem like so long ago now."

"Yeah..." I mean, they _were_ long ago. More than six years. My brow furrows as I remember a certain young knight that I haven't seen enjoying his youth today. "Has Leopold come out yet?"

Randall shakes his head sadly. "No... he hasn't left his brothers side for anything but sleep."

"Dang." I stare silently at the ground as we walk. "...you don't think it would help if I went and talked to him, would you?" I've met Leopold many times, ever since he was a kid, but I still didn't know him all that well. Still, I knew I could trust him, and I would need him to shape up in time for the mission I have planned for tomorrow.

Randall mulls over my question, then finally nods. "Actually, maybe it would. Seeing a new captain might spur him to take action."

"...if you say so, I'll do it."

It's unclear as to why I'm so hesitant to climb the stairs and walk over to Fuegoleon's room. I'm worried about having this talk with Leopold, but I think I'm even more scared of the man lying in bed, unconscious.

"...Leopold?"

I push open the door, my eyes sweeping the room once before falling on the bed in the corner.

My heart stops.

_..._

_Fuegoleon..._

He's one of the strongest men I know. One of the bravest soldiers in the kingdom. And yet... he lays here. Crippled. One side of his body empty as his blank face stares at the ceiling through closed eyelids.

Finally, I find the strength to move, taking a step inside. My words finally register to Leopold, who's sitting in a chair, slumped over, next to his brother's bed. He looks up, his eyes widening slightly at my presence. "Oh... hello." He stands up quickly and bows slightly. My heart falls a bit at the way he moves. He was always full of energy and determination, but not today. Today he seems so... bland. Even his voice is level and low, nothing like his usual bombastic tone. "Thank you for coming to help the squad."

"My pleasure," I answer quickly, giving him a small smile and trying my hardest to keep my eyes from flickering back down onto the body.

_Don't think about it._

"So, uh..." I know Leo's been cooped up in here, but at least he's out of the chair now. "I wanted to tell you some things... as Fuegoleon's brother, you deserve to know. Also..." I rub my hands together in an awkward attempt to break the tension. "There's some information you should be aware of, since it pertains to a mission I need you to accompany me on."

Leo cocks his head, interest sparking in his eyes. "A mission?"

"Yeah. Here, sit down, I'll tell you all about it."

I quickly go over the basics: The Eye of the Midnight Sun went after his brother to obtain the magic stone in this necklace. We don't yet know why, but the magic stones are important to these terrorists. It's of the upmost importance to gather stones before they do. "Not only that, but I had a similar experience as your brother," I go on. "Both of us were the victims of a coordinated abduction. The fact that this happened twice with such precision is suspicious... without getting into the details, there's a limited amount of people within the magic knights that we can fully trust, now."

"...traitors?" Leo asks, his voice lowering again to an almost angry tone. I'm sure that the thought of someone, possibly someone close to his brother, actively betraying him was enough to stir that anger.

"I'd appreciate it if you kept this information private... but yeah." I sigh and shake my head a little at the gravity of the situation we're in. So much has happened recently, that I haven't had any time to think of much else. Even so, for some reason the memory of Julius's promise, from months ago, flashes in my mind.

_"I promise. We'll get married, and then start our family."_

_That's another reason to get to the bottom of this. I don't want to put my life on hold any longer._

"Someone may try to kidnap me again, or try to find out more information about the stones. I know I can trust you out here, Leopold. You're just like your brother, I know you would never even think about betraying the kingdom."

Leo actually smiles a little, his eyes casting back down to his brother's face. "Just like my brother..." he repeats, before letting out a sigh. When his gaze meets mine again, it's more resolute. "Fine. I will accompany you on this mission. You can count on me."

My mouth widens in to a bright smile. "Perfect! Thank you... I know this must be hard for you, but we need to get to the bottom of this."

"Of course! And then-" He hits his palm with his fist. "We'll take revenge for my brother!"

"Er, yes, that too."

"Alright!" His voice brightens, to my relief. "What's the mission?"

"Tomorrow, you and I will head out to a group of people that may have some information on the whereabouts of magic stones. It's a long story, and I'll explain on the way, but it shouldn't be too dangerous."

The day moves on, and Leopold comes out to train for a while, leaving a nurse to take care of Fuegoleon. The sun eventually goes down and everyone goes inside to have some dinner. "Leave some for the rest of us! You don't even need to eat, right?" Horatio badgers me from across the table, watching me eat my meal with a look of disgust.

"Shut up, Horatio. I'm your captain now, remember?" I tell him with a goofy grin. The table erupts into the best kind of laughter: that given at Horatio's expense. Horatio glowers and hides his face in the bottom of a mug.

"You don't need to eat?" Leopold asks, looking a bit confused.

"...it's a long story," Horatio and I say in unison.

As promised, Cobb's door opens at 9pm, and I say my goodbyes to the squad. "I'll be back first thing tomorrow morning. Behave until then! No outside visitors." I exchange a wink with Randall at that last statement. "Goodnight!"

"Goodnight, Captain!"

The noise of the courtyard is cut off as the door slams shut, leaving me in the quiet, familiar halls of the castle. "Ah... a long day of work, done," I say to no one in particular, stretching an arm across my chest before heading off to find Julius, who I'm sure is eager to hear how it went.

_Tomorrow, I'll head out to see my family... I'm sure they'll have the answers we need!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Chapter 64! "the weird side." MC, Horatio, and Leo head out to visit some Simulcians. Unfortunately, they aren't the only ones with that idea.


	64. the weird side

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I'm having a lot of trouble writing Leopold in this? Oh well? Lol
> 
> 2\. The simulcians are less evil now... but they're still spooky.
> 
> 3\. I am kind of improvising the next two chapters so I'm sorry if it shows lol. I'm looking forward to the arc I have planned next, though.

"God, why did you have to bring me along? I hate these long flights..."

"Suck it up, Horatio." 

After getting everything in order at the base, Horatio, Leo, and I finally headed off on our mission, eager to get started. I had to drag Leo out of Fuegoleon's room again, which was both emotionally and physically taxing. It took everything I had to keep from staring at the body again, but now we were on our way, leaving that room behind. Leo actually seems to be in a pretty good mood, smiling a little to himself as we fly. However, it's an almost... superficial smile. He's still feeling out of sorts.

Horatio sniffs to himself indignantly before flying on ahead, not too keen on striking up any more of a conversation. With a sigh, I glance over at Leo again, who hasn't changed his expression. "So..." He finally speaks, meeting my gaze briefly. "These people we're meeting, why do you think they'll know anything about the stones?"

It's a fair question; I haven't told him much about them other than the fact that they may have some information for us. "Oh, well... without getting too deep into it, these people aren't exactly _from_ the Clover Kingdom. They're members of a country that was destroyed more than a century ago. They've existed since before the first Wizard King, which was when the stones were last used."

"Hmm... they're refugees, then? But why would the descendants _now_ know anything about back then?" Leo rubs his chin, thinking it over.

"Because..." Oh boy. What am I supposed to say? _"They're basically a hive mind? And I just so happen to be part of the hive?"_ "Their history is passed down to each descendant, even centuries later. I'm pretty sure that's the case..."

_They're my family, after all._

It's a little sad, the fact that I see my Simulcian family more than my Clover family. This particular settlement is located to the south, near the coast and the border of the Heart Kingdom. It's warm and temperate, and many of my aunts and uncles wanted to go "live off of the land," or something crazy like that. The others ended up staying to work in Raque, but my "rural" family was really enjoying life on the farm... for better or for worse.

"Oh! Look who it is!"

As soon as we land, several voices in near unison suddenly call out the greeting. "...here they are." I steel myself and smile, waving as a couple of them run up, all beaming from ear to ear at the sight of me. Since I helped rescue them from Mikal all those years ago, they pledged their loyalty to me and Julius, glad to be alive and able to lead a normal life for once. Everyone here, with the exception of the three youngest, were once synchronized into septads for their entire lives. Even now, that's obviously a big part of their identities. "Niece! It's so nice to see you again, what brought on this visit?" One of my aunts runs up to hug me, while Leo and Horatio stand awkwardly behind. She has her mark on her stomach, revealed by the short crop-top she wears. The others are similar, making sure to have their marks exposed to the air and not covered by clothing. 

"...niece?" Leo asks, blinking, a little confused.

"Ah, well, it's official magic knights business, actually," I tell them. "There's a lot to go over."

"Splendid!" five of them chorus at once, a pair of them grabbing my arms. I nearly cringe, but manage to relax. _Jeez! These people still don't know anything about personal space! "_ Let's give you some lunch and you can tell us all about it!"

"...jesus. They're just as creepy as usual," Horatio mutters, crossing his arms as I'm dragged away by my aunts and uncles. "Prepare yourself, Leo... these people are _not_ normal."

"...ah." Leopold is at a loss for words for once, finally putting the pieces together. The mark, my familiarity with their magic... they were my family, of course. There was a lot more to the story that he didn't know, but Leo just accepted it for now and followed me, along with Horatio.

"An attack?"

"On the capitol?"

"That's awful!"

"Was everyone okay?"

"Who did it?"

"The eye of the midnight sun?"

"Terrorists!"

"That's scary..."

"Well, that's the point of terrorists I suppose, haha!"

The room erupts in synchronized laughter as I sit there and silently munch on my lunch. It's no use- once they start talking to each other, you have to wait for the conversation to circle back to you. They spent so many years linked together, I'm sure it's hard to distinguish between themselves even now. However, they all seem happy... no matter how weird they get. "Ah, yes, the Eye of the Midnight Sun-"

"Ooh! Your hair is so spiky!"

"I've never seen someone with such red hair!"

"That's humans for you, haha!"

Uh oh. Their attention is on Leopold now as they look him over. One of my uncles blinks as he examines the little mark on Leo's forehead. "Young man, what is this? A magic mark?"

"Ah, no, not magic," Leopold speaks up awkwardly. His eyes darken a little, and I remember when he burned it into his skin after the attack... after he learned what happened to Fuegoleon. "It's an oath... I'll surpass all other mages in this kingdom and become the Wizard King!"

There's a seriousness in his voice that I've never heard before... and it hurts.

My family, however, is delighted. "Amazing! The Wizard King! It must be great to be the strongest mage in the land... Ooh! That reminds us-"

 _Us._ They catch themselves and laugh nervously. "Er- I mean, that reminds _me,"_ one of my aunts corrects. "Won't you get married already? We've been alive for so long yet we've never gotten to see a wedding!"

Horatio purses his lips to contain his laughter and sips his drink as I turn bright red. "Ah- er- uh- well, eventually, yeah. But that's off topic!" I suck in a breath. "I wanted to ask you guys about the terrorists... I know that, when you're first born, you were synchronized with your four eldest siblings, yeah?"

The group exchanges glances before nodded. "Yeah... our parents's only natural born children, other than Mikal. It was just to show us how to speak, how to act, how to read... basically to make us adults in an instant. We spend 18 years incubating, that's 18 years of development given in just one moment."

I nod along, my mind whirring with ideas. "And also... they showed you the Simulcian history, right?" 

"Yes... a modified version, but it's hard to remember now..." Aunt furrows her brow. "But somehow it was ingrained into all of us. What do you need to know?"

Bingo. "What do you know about Magic Stones? The terrorists are trying to gather them, so if you know anything about them, it would really help us out."

My heart leaps with relief as I see many of their faces brighten. "Oh! Magic stones? We used to have one!"

"What?! Wait, _used to?"_ Horatio clarifies, raising an eyebrow. "You didn't lose it, did you?"

"How did you even get it? I thought Simulcians left the mainland years before the stones were last identified?" I asked, my heart pounding a little.

Many of the Simulcians smile gleefully. "Oh, we didn't leave for _good._ We sent scouts to the mainland every now and then, just to see what was going on. One particular scout, Carter, was sent around 500 years ago. He was gone for 50 years, then returned bearing a blue magic stone. He didn't tell them how he got it... but everyone could tell that something changed in him. He was always a happy, cheerful man, but when he came back he was always quiet, and pensive..."

"Huh..." It was amazing that they could recall this story as if it happened yesterday. Part of me was tempted to ask to synchronize with them and have the history placed into my own head for future reference, but I hold myself back. I don't want to mess my body up more than it already is. "What did they think happened? Did he lose a partner over here?"

"No, he went on his journey alone," they continue. "The only thing he said when he got back was that he had 'lost everything.'"

I'm not sure why, but the phrase sends a shiver down my spine. A man without a partner, a nomad, managed to find something on the mainland, then lost it right after? As interesting as the story of Carter is, that's not the reason I'm here. "So, what about the stone? What happened to it?"

"We kept it safe in a temple for a long time. Then, Carter set off to a strong magic region between our island and the Clover coast. It was rumored that there was an underwater civilization there, and he had to check it out. He took the stone with him, and never returned."

It's hard to believe what I'm hearing. "An _underwater civilization?_ So, they probably killed him and took the stone?"

"No, no! Carter probably just eloped with someone down there. He was quite a ladies man, eheh."

 _Quite a ladies man?! How do they know so much about this guy, anyway?_ It occurs to me that maybe Simulcians are just naturally... nosy. My grandparents both were, and my aunts and uncles definitely are. "Oh... so... it's likely that the stone will be in that underwater area? Hmm." I rub my chin and think it over. "That sounds like something Julius would know about..."

"Well, that's all good then, right?" I look up at Horatio speaks, oddly cheery. "That's the info we needed, it's a pretty good clue, I must admit... can we go now?"

He's right, that was a good clue, so I need to go follow up on it. "Yeah, I suppose we should-"

"No."

We freeze and look back at the Simulcians sitting down across from us, all with identical glares on their faces. _Uh oh..._ "Uh, what's the problem?"

They blink a few times before bursting into a bout of laughter. "Look! Look!" They point down at my, Horatio, and Leo's plates. "We just fed you, right? You can't leave until you've worked off that meal... there's plenty of farm work to be done!"

"WHAT?!"

And so, the three of us are kicked out of the house and forced to go pull potatoes out of the ground for the rest of the afternoon.

"I can't believe this! The complete LACK of hospitality!" Horatio spits as he angrily digs a tuber out of the ground. "Of all things these freaks could be... they had to be _capitalists!"_

"Horatio, don't call my family _freaks,_ please," I scold lightly, picking up a basket full of the bounty. "Leo, you doing okay?"

"Mhm." Leo hasn't complained the whole time, in fact, he's hardly talked at all this whole time, which is, again... frightening. _Jeez, Leo, I hope you brighten up again soon... Fuegoleon wouldn't want you to mourn him like this,_ I think to myself, making a mental note to talk to him about it later. 

"Ugh. Whatever. I'm gonna piss," Horatio says, throwing down his shovel before stomping off towards a nearby forest.

Shaking my head, I pick up where he left off, allowing my thoughts to take over. Depending on how much information Julius knows about it, the next step seems to be to pay this "underwater civilization" a quick visit. Hopefully we could at least ascertain that the stone was safe, somewhere where the Eye of the Midnight Sun wouldn't find it. We still don't know how many stones they needed, so from there we would try to find any others. 

"We'll be the ones to go to the underwater civilization, right?" Leo catches my attention with the question.

"Well, that's up to the Wizard King. I'll see if I can convince him," I tell him with a smile, glad to earn one in return.

"Good. I'm glad I came out today... I needed the distraction."

I gulp a little, watching him as he goes back to work. _He's been so well-behaved this whole time... he's trying not to think about Fuegoleon, right? That's exactly what I'm doing too..._

From experience, I know that bottling up those feelings and acting like they don't exist isn't healthy at all. They just keep building up until you can't handle the weight anymore. Yet, Leopold is determined to leave it behind... I don't want to see him get crushed.

"...Leo-"

"Yo!" I'm interrupted as Horatio comes walking over, a lazy smile on his face. That must have been a really good piss, it turned his attitude around immediately. "Are you guys talking about the plan without me?"

I frown a little, wondering why he's so friendly all the sudden. "...well, we were just discussing whether or not we'll be the ones sent to get the stone, once we tell the Wizard King about all this."

"Oh, right the stone. Which one?"

Now I know he's just being a little shit. "You know which one. The underwater civilization."

"Oh, right!"

"Shut up and get back to work. We still have to work off our meal."

"Huh? Work?!"

"Horatio-"

"Hey everyone!"

We all turn to see three of my uncles walking towards us with a tray of snacks. "Don't worry, these are on us! We didn't know how long you humans can go without eating, so we brought some an hour in just to be safe."

"Humans?" Leo asks, as I let out a soft sigh. This is a can of worms that I don't really want to open right now, but sadly these Simulcians seem to pride themselves on the fact that they're technically a different species, since they can't successfully interbreed with humans. Well, most of them. "And, thanks for the snacks."

"Yeah." Horatio takes the tray and shares it with Leo, glancing up and narrowing his eyes at the sight of the marks that adorn my uncles' bodies. "...hey, you want some?" he asks me.

"Of course she doesn't! You don't even need to eat, do you?" one of my uncles says cheerfully, patting me on the back. "She's just like us... we Simulcians are ageless, beautiful creatures, you know."

"...Simulcian?" Horatio repeats as if he's never heard the word before.

"Wait, really?" Leopold's eyes widen, much to my dismay. I'm not thrilled about answering a bunch of questions about this right now. "That's... pretty amazing!"

"Hold on a sec, you don't need to eat?!" Horatio demands. "Then why on earth are you having us farm potatoes!?"

My brow furrows at the question he directs towards my uncles, something about it not sitting right with me. "Horatio, you should know this? I told you, they donate it all, they just really like the farm life." I sigh and shake my head. "Seriously... you don't listen to a thing I say! Just last night, you were teasing me about..."

_That's right. Last night, he teased me about how much I ate, even though I don't need to eat. Then why is he so clueless now...?_

_..._

_wait-_

"Horatio" catches onto my train of thought before I even finish it. He snaps his fingers once, and suddenly all five of us are floating upside-down in the air. Leo yells in surprise while my uncles start to freak out. I spin my arms wildly in an attempt to stay upright before looking down at his smirking face. "Horatio!? What's the meaning of this?" My heart is pounding, as I start to run through different conclusions. _Is this an impostor? Or is Horatio being mind controlled? There's no way that he's actually a traitor-_

The "Horatio" finally grins, snapping his fingers again. The gravity shifts, slamming us all down into the soil below. I struggle to look up as my arms are pinned under my body. _He still has Gravity magic..._ "Horatio!"

"Stop calling me that, you know that's not my name," he sneers, having the audacity to yawn to punctuate his sentence. "You caught on pretty quickly, although, I guess that's my fault." He smirks and raises his hands again. Leo and my uncles go flying off in some direction while I stay glued to the ground, unable to move a muscle. "This _heavy prison_ spell is pretty neat, I'll definitely be using it later... in the meantime-" He flicks his fingers, flipping me over harshly. I cry out as my head hits the ground hard, my mind going dizzy. "Thank you for telling me about the stone. These Simulcians, too! I never thought I would hear about them again. You and your family can tell us all about it later. Take a little nap, now."

 _Somehow, this guy managed to follow us here and replace Horatio... or maybe this IS Horatio, but he's being controlled. Either way..._ I grit my teeth and strain against the overwhelming force. 

"I won't let you... hurt anyone here!" I cry out finally. "Horatio" raises an eyebrow as the mark on my forehead starts to glow. "And you're kidding yourself if you think I'm gonna get kidnapped again!"

Just as I manage to sit up, ready to attack, two columns of flame erupt from behind me, shooting at the impostor. He leaps out of the way, releasing the spell on me. I look up to see Leo run by, a determined look in his eye. "Are you alright?" he asks, glancing down at me.

"Yeah, I'm-" I wince as pain shoots up my arm, the one that had been crushed under my body. "Ow! I'll just have to-"

"Don't worry, Captain."

Leo's face suddenly hardens, becoming stony and almost... blank. My heart sinks as I realize that, once again, he's about to shoulder this task himself, all for the sake of a distraction. 

"I'll beat this guy... just like my brother would!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time! Chapter 65: the lion cub. The Eye of the Midnight Sun attacks the Simulcians, and the next step is planned.


	65. the lion cub

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. this was kind of painful but I'm glad it's over now lol

_"shut up shut up shut up SHUT UP!"_

_"Oh, come on, you can't deny it forever, Saida."_

_"One more word, and I'm going to send you flying, Rhya!"_

_Saida was bright red with a combination of rage and embarrassment. Rhya grinned lazily to himself, glad that at least now he had gotten the secret out of her. "Well, since you told me-"_

_"I did NOT tell you, you just figured it out!"_

_"Well, since I figured it out, want some advice?"_

_"Absolutely not!"_

_"Too bad." Rhya chuckled to himself before rolling over in the grass to look over at his friend, who was glaring at him silently. "If you really like him... just go for it. Tell him how you feel."_

_"Huh?! Why on earth would I do that?" Saida snapped, going red again. "You know I'm not good at that kind of thing."_

_"Uh... ask your mom for some tips, maybe?" Rhya suggested. "She got married, right?"_

_Saida frowned at the grass before letting out a heavy sigh. "Sometimes I wonder about that... I don't think I should listen to her..."_

_The tone of her voice turned somber._

_"She married someone who's never even around..."_

* * *

_So, this is Saida's host? The one who gave Licht all that trouble? Now that she's awake, she definitely reminds me of Saida..._

I sit up, gathering my strength so I can at least fight this "Horatio" impostor alongside Leo. However, being dropped onto the ground that hard did a number on my arm, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's actually broken now. The situation is becoming more urgent, because I'm 99% sure that Leo's going to do something stupid. "Leo! Where did my uncles go?" I ask quickly, keeping my eyes on the enemy. My uncles flew off with Leo just a few moments before and haven't appeared again.

"They ran back into town, to get help," Leo answers, not even glancing back at me. "They should be back soon-"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." "Horatio" crosses his arms and smirks. "My friends should already be taking care of your family... Simulcians, did you say?" I prickle a bit at his tone, not sure I like where this is going. "I wasn't sure it was worth it following you all the way out here, but not only did I find the location of one of the stones..." His voice trails off before letting out a chuckle. "Well, I don't want to get off topic. We should probably get to the fighting bit."

"Good! That's what I want to hear," Leo growled, balling up his fists as flames crackle around them. Before I can tell him to be careful, he goes charging at his foe, smoke in his path. _Oh god, don't do anything rash,_ I think to myself, knowing that I better suck up this injury and get to his side. Gritting my teeth, I channel a little mana through my mark and hover my hand over my broken arm. It starts to glow blue, and I wince as the bones start to move back into place. It wasn't a clean break, much to my dismay. _There... that's good enough!_

I stretch my arm once to limber it up before jumping to my feet, Grimoire already flipping open. Leo isn't doing too well, each of his attacks just being blasted back at him as "Horatio" controls the gravity around him. With a smile, Horatio flings Leopold back up into the air as if the boy was just a leaf floating in the wind. "Aren't you royalty? This isn't very fun I'm beating you with commoner magic!"

"Let him go!"

"Horatio" turns around just in time to see a solar bolt coming his way. He barely manages to dodge it but yelps as the searing-hot attack grazes him, leaving an angry red streak on his back. "Yeowch! Dang it, I was having fun with your friend's magic, but now..." I freeze as his body starts to change, the transformation spell coming undone. Horatio fades away, leaving an unfamiliar man in his place. He's young, with black and white hair and some kind of strange tattoo on his cheek. His white robe holds the insignia that I've seen once before; the insignia of the Eye of the Midnight Sun. As I watch, particles of light form around his body, healing the wound on his back. _Light magic? He was using gravity magic just a second ago, though-_

"Fire magic, huh? In that case-" the man, who's name I've yet to learn is Rhya, raises his hand as water magic starts to accumulate. The sight shocks me for a moment, enough that I don't react right away as a giant sheet of water comes raining down on me. "Water Magic: Aqua Curtain!" 

I snap out of it and raise my hands, conjuring the hottest fire I can. The flames cut through the water, just barely able to evaporate most of it, turning it into steam. Rhya winces as the super-hot water droplets start to fill the area, and jumps a few paces back. His gaze turns to Leo again, a smile returning to his face. "Hey, royal kid!" he says, getting Leo's attention. "Catch!" He manifests and hurls a giant javelin of water towards the boy.

"Leopold! Watch-"

Leo is already casting his spell, bracing himself for impact. "Flame magic: Exploding Flames!" He thrust his hand downwards, generating a spiral of fire around him. Flames concentrated in several places, suddenly exploding out in every direction. Some of them hit the javelin, breaking it apart, but others went flying right towards Rhya and I. A ball of flame careens right by me, dangerously close, but the diversion gives me time to put distance between me and the enemy. 

"Ha ha! See that! I bet another one of those can take you out!" Leo challenges Rhya, charging up more fire in his palms. "Fire Magic: Spiral Flames!" He shoots out two huge columns of flame at Rhya, who easily jumps out of the way. I spot light accumulating around him, my heart jolting in my chest. "LEO!"

Leo is too focused on producing larger, hotter flames, and doesn't hear me or see the light attack about to come his way. "Flame Magic, Blazing Spear!" The weapon appears in my hand as I leap up, as fast as I can. _Leo! Get out of the way! I don't know if I'm going to make it in time-_

The light magic attack launches down right as I get in front of Leo. I swing the spear down, accelerated slightly so I manage to cut through one, two, then three of the light shafts. But now there's a fourth, one I wasn't prepared for. My spear is still in an upswing, there's no way I'm going to be able to hit the light-

So I use my leg instead. One desperate kick, one shot of pain, and I go flying back to the ground. Luckily, I run right into Leo so we're both flung away from Rhya. Once we roll to a stop, the shock hits me and I bite my tongue to keep from screaming. _Ouch! I don't remember this hurting so much last time!_ With much difficulty, I manage to sit up to look over at Leo sitting next to me in the potato field. "Y-You okay?"

His eyes widen when he realizes what happen, a look of horror crossing his face. "You... you got hit-"

"Don't just jump in front like that! I'm not trying to kill _you."_ Rhya catches our attention again as he starts walking over. "It's no use anyway... I think I see my comrades heading over this way now."

Comrades?! If they're coming back already, does that mean that they defeated all the Simulcians?! Is my family okay!?

Rhya raises a hand to wave, but his face falls when the group gets closer.

" _Whatever are you doing to our niece and her friends?"_

Seven of my aunts and uncles are walking towards us through their ruined potato field, seven different marks glowing on their bodies. The sight give _me_ chills, bringing back unpleasant memories even though this development is very welcome in the present. I never expected to see a Septad together again, but here they were, marching right towards Rhya.

"Ah... what are you guys doing there?" he asks, laughing nervously. Even someone as powerful as him can tell that this is not a force to be messed with. "Is this something Simulcians do? That's strange, no one ever mentioned this..." 

" _You didn't answer our question."_ The septad halt right behind Leo and me, staring Rhya down. _"Get out of our potato fields. Your friends already burnt down many of our houses, so we've already got an excuse to destroy you."_

"Destroy me?!" Rhya winces and glances down at me. "This is your family? Creepy!"

I'm still wondering what he meant by _no one ever mentioned this._ Did he know something about Simulcians? Their existence was largely kept secret, since they were going to go extinct again soon anyway. Why would this Midnight Sun guy know anything about it?

"Uncles, aunts... you can blast him." I wince again as pain shoots up my leg, bleeding freely now.

_"As you wish."_

They raise their hands in perfect synchrony, their mana resonating between each other. They don't even utter the name of their spell; with seven different types of mana combined, no name can be put to the power they wield. Rhya's eyes widen as he realizes that he's about to get blasted straight to heaven. _Time to dip! I'll see you later, fake-Saida._ With that, he casts the spatial spell he copied from Valtos and disappeared right before the ground around him was blasted away into a perfect crator.

The septad immediately breaks up right afterwards. One of my aunts knees and holds her hands over my wound, healing it as fast as she can. "Are you two alright?"

"Yeah, I am now." I glance over at Leo, who's still staring at the crater with a blank look in his eyes. Then, I remember something important. "Oh no! Horatio! Where is he?!"

Both Leo and I jump to our feet and run to the woods where, in Horatio's words, he was going to take a piss. "HORATIO!" I yell, limping along and checking in every tree. _Oh god, if something happens to him, I'm never going to forgive myself-_

Leo calls my name. "I found him!"

My heart pounding, I run over and skid to a stop, relief filling me when we see Horatio slumped over, unconscious, at the base of a tree. "He's just knocked out... let's get him back to the town!"

The Eye of the Midnight Sun members that attacked the town didn't last long, but like was said before, they managed to damage quite a few buildings, including the potato storage mill. My aunts and uncles stare at the burning building sadly, a few of the water magic users attempting to put it out. Two of them take Horatio to a bed so he can be comfortable, and my aunt continues to heal my wound. "Those were the terrorists you mentioned? They did some damage, but they were no match for the septad." She grins. "They turned tail and ran as soon as it formed."

"Wow..." I reply, still catching my breath from all the running around we had to do. Finally, I stretch my leg, not feeling any pain at all. "Thank you! Now..." I stand up and look around. "Where did Leo go?"

I walk around looking for him once the chaos has died down, but there's no sign of him anywhere. I remember how he looked when he realized that I was injured, and I have a sneaking suspicion that he feels horribly guilty about it. _Poor kid... I'll talk to him soon._ For now, though, we have a town to repair. I feel partially responsible for it, so I decide to contact Randall first via communicator. "... they're gone now, but the town is in shambles. Can you round up some squad members and come out here as soon as you can?" I ask after explaining the situation to him.

_"Of course, we'll be there soon."_

"Thanks, Randall." I hang up and quickly make another call to report the incident.

 _"Are you serious? Do you need any reinforcements?"_ Marx asks frantically.

"No, no, we handled it. And my squad is sending more people over here," I explain. "Don't bother having Cobb take me home at 9, I'm going to be out here for a while." I glance back over at the burnt buildings.

 _"Alright... I'll tell Julius everything."_ Marx lets out a sigh. " _Be careful... those enemies followed you there."_

 _"_...I know."

I close the communicator with a _snap_ and let out a sigh of my own. _I hope this doesn't mean anything ominous for the future... that enemy was super strong, and he uses other people's attributes? Julius is going to want to hear about this._

With that thought, I walk off to find Leo and figure out what's going on with him.

With the help of some "spies" in my family, I finally locate him back in the potato field, gathering up the harvest that was blown all over by the fight. "Hey! You should come back and rest, that was a nasty fight," I tell him, coming to a stop and crossing my arms.

The boy straightens up with the basket in his arms, blinking a few times as my words finally register. "...it's alright, I'm not tired. Anyway," he bends back over to pick up more potatoes. "The potato storeroom got blown up, they're going to need more to make up for it."

My gaze softens at the tone of his voice. "Leo... I'm glad you came on this mission with me. But I don't want you to work yourself to death."

He pauses again, not bringing himself to look back into my eyes.

"...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get you hurt."

"It's alright. I'm fine now, see? It wasn't your fault, anyway-"

"It was!" Leo winces a little after he cuts me off, but keeps talking. "I wanted to defeat that guy, just like my brother would. But I couldn't. You're stronger than me, just like Fuegoleon, but you both were the ones who got hurt. That's not right..."

His voice trails off, letting me get a word in. "So... you're not saying that you wish it was _you_ that got hurt?"

"No." Leo shook his head, frowning. "I just wish other people didn't get hurt for my sake. I wish I was strong enough to finish my own battles."

He tenses a little in surprise as he feels a hand fall on his shoulder, before looking up to see me smiling down at him. "You will be, Leo. Everyone believes in you. Me, Fuegoleon, the whole squad. You're the future that we want to protect. No one died here today, thanks to your strength. You held your own against a powerful enemy. So..." I close my eyes as I smile. "Don't give up. We'll keep moving forward, together."

After a long moment, Leo finally smiles as well. "...alright. I promise. Also-" He grins sheepishly. "I let myself focus on the enemy instead of protecting my comrades. I won't let it happen again!"

"That's the spirit!" I tell him, glad that he's focusing on self-improvement now rather than trying to live up to someone else's legacy. "Now, come on, the squad will be here soon. And I have a feeling we'll have to wrangle an angry Horatio when he wakes up!"

We both giggle at the thought before gathering up a few baskets of potatoes and heading back towards the town... back to where we'll meet our squad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time, chapter 66: the traitor. Julius figures out a way to break the memory seal, with a little help from Asta.


	66. the traitor

The rest of the squad and I stay out nearly to dawn, cleaning up and rebuilding the houses that were destroyed. It would have taken longer if we didn't have magic, but by the time we're done everyone but me is exhausted. "Finally, can we go home now?" Horatio grumbles, standing around with an ice pack pressed to his head. He's unharmed but woke up with both a raging headache and temper.

"I'm sure we're fine now, thank you all so much for the help!" one of my aunts tells us, her statement quickly echoed by the others. "If those guys come back, we'll make sure to capture them!"

"Alright... you heard them!" I turn back to my tired squad, my hands on my hips. "We can go home... everyone who helped can take the day off tomorrow." I'm still planning to work and coordinate the squad members who aren't here right now. My orders are met with resounding approval, the mood lightening as we mount our brooms and fly back towards civilization. I glance down at the town, waving to my family who's seeing us off. Despite the craziness of this visit, it was good to see them making a peaceful life for themselves. It's a little melancholy, knowing that these are the last surviving Simulcians, most of them unable to have children and continue the lineage. I still wonder if they're really a different species from humans... but that's still a question I'm not willing to confront right now, even if they all say it's true.

"You're okay going back by yourself?" Randall asks as I start to split off from the group. "I could go with you to the castle if you want?"

"I'm fine, but thanks!" I tell him, waving goodbye before turning and heading south. The castle comes into view quickly, after a few tense minutes. I'm most vulnerable when I'm alone, but even having Leo and Horatio around didn't dissuade the enemy from making a move. _They wanted to keep me alive for some purpose back then... are they really that keen on taking me back? And how did that guy know about Simulcians? This whole situation hurts my head..._

To my surprise, the castle is already active, with guards running around HQ and advisors talking hurriedly. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that they've actually been up all night. I make my way upstairs and luckily run into Marx. "Hey, what's going on?" I ask, blinking in confusion as he almost looks... panicked. 

Marx is nearly trembling with stress. "You didn't hear? Oh, right, you were out all night... but the Eye of the Midnight Sun showed it's face _again,_ in a different town. Nean, to be precise. Walk with me-" With that, he turns and hurries upstairs, not giving me much choice but to follow.

"Basically... it's been a long night. Right around midnight, a mysterious patch of snow started falling on the town."

"Snow?" I repeat. "But, it's summer-"

"I know, I know, I'm getting to that! Like you said, it's summer, but apparently it was a Snow Magic spell that hypnotized all the young children, leading them into a cave outside of town."

It's just crazy enough that I believe it. I can't even ask any questions as he continues. "Some criminals were out there and started using a device to drain the kids of their mana, it was truly horrible... but luckily, there were some magic knights from the Black Bulls in the area, and they jumped into action right away. At first it was just that Adlai guy and the boy with the anti-magic sword-"

"Huh? Asta was there?" I cut in, a little surprised that such a new knight had to fight the terrorists. "Are they okay?"

"Yeah, everyone's fine. Apparently he used his sword to break the spell on the children. But anyway, soon a few members of the Eye of the Midnight Sun showed up, because they were the ones supplying the draining equipment. One of them was..." His voice trailed off before he gulped. "That guy you fought before... the light magic user. He was there, and apparently his real name is Licht."

My blood runs cold at the mention of the guy, sudden fear filling my veins. "Oh god... they fought _him?"_

"Not just him," Marx adds. "Three of his top people came too... Vetto, who uses Beast Magic, Fana, who uses Fire Magic and wields Salamander, and Rhya, who has copy magic."

_Copy magic... wait! Is that the guy I fought earlier? Man, he really gets around..._

"Salamander, huh... I guess that means I'll never have that spirit, ha," I say a little jokingly, but my tone is tense. One of the four great spirits in the enemy's hands? That wasn't good... at least we have Sylph, who came to be wielded by Yuno. Julius told me all about it when I came back. "But, they defeated them?"

"Not quite," Marx answers. "Captain Yami showed up to help, but they retreated after Charlotte, Jack, and Nozel joined in. Apparently, Asta and Yami were the ones to force their retreat... but that's all we have for now."

"I see..." I smile a little at the thought of Asta in battle. _One day, I hope I can see him use his anti-magic in a fight!_ "And... Julius?"

"He's been awake all night going over everything," Marx says just as we turn the corner towards the office. "He's still in there if you want to see him."

"Thanks." I pat Marx on the arm as we part ways. "Take it easy, Marx."

"I wish!"

I quietly enter the room, shutting the heavy door softly behind me before looking over at Julius's desk. I have to force myself not to laugh. _Awake all night? Yeah right!_ He's slumped over passed out and snoring happily away on his pile of documents. I approach him and see that there's also at least three empty plates and a full plate of food laying on the desk. It's obviously been a stressful night. 

"Julius? You okay?" He stirs at the sound of my voice, quickly sitting up and blinking awake. His eyes widen when he sees me. "Oh!" Reflexively, he reaches out and pulls me towards him, burying his face in my stomach as he gives me a greeting hug. "You're back... did you have to stay out-"

"Yeah, it took all night," I answer before he finishes, smiling to myself as I run a hand through his hair. "Marx filled me in on everything that happened in Nean."

"Ah, good." Julius pulls back to look up at me with a little smile. "He told me about you, too..." His eyebrows angle at the thought. "I was worried, even though the fight was over by the time I found out... it seems like that guy was Rhya, the copy magic user."

"I figured as much." I shake my head a little at the thought. "Julius... he knew about the Simulcians."

Julius's eyes widen as I continue. "I don't know how, but he said that he hadn't heard about them for a long time. If he knows..." I'm not sure why, but that fact feels very ominous, and my hands start to shake. "...they're definitely trying to take me back..."

My voice wavers a little, and that's enough for Julius to jump out of his seat and pull me into his embrace. I hold onto him tightly, my eyes still squeezed shut from the fear of being taken away again. "I don't know why they want me, and that scares me... I didn't think I was that special."

"You are special... special to me," Julius mumbles as he kisses my hair softly, letting me cling to him for once. "And that's probably why they want you, honestly... I'm sorry."

I shake my head against his chest, not wanting him to feel guilty about this. Yes, that's probably part of the reason why I was targeted, but the dread in my stomach is telling me that there's more to it. "Don't..." I say softly, clinging to him closer. "Don't be sorry about that. I'll always be happy that I'm special to you." I loosen my grip and step back a little to look up into his face. He looks so tired... his eyes are weary, guilty, completely occupied with the slew of problems that each day brings. I never want to be one of those problems. 

"...I know. Thank you." He squeezes my hand softly, a smile finally drifting onto his face. "That reminds me. We actually found Mereoleona today."

"Huh?! Really?" I ask, a little shocked that it was so quick. "Wait, does that mean-"

"Don't worry, she won't be back for another week or so," Julius assures me. "She's taking her time. But yeah, when she gets back, you'll be relieved."

As happy as I am to hear that Mereoleona's coming back, I can't help but feel a little sad. I finally got to be a captain, but it's over too soon. "I see... I thought I was doing pretty well, too," I say, Julius quickly picking up on the tinge of disappointment in my voice.

His heavy hand lands on my hand. "Don't worry, you can still be involved somehow, I'm sure. It must have been fun to be with your old squad again." I can't help but smile along with him as he ruffles my hair a little lovingly. "I've been enjoying seeing you do it, too... it reminds me of when we first met." His hand drifts down to play aimlessly with the hem of my squad cloak, his eyes going a bit glassy. "You were so young, so cute... Innocent, too. I could barely stay away from you for a day." 

His words make me blush, especially as his voice lowers and his hands start to drift... somewhere else. "J-Julius, am I not still cute?" I tease, squirming a bit as his arms start to wrap around me again.

"Of course you are." He starts to lean in for a kiss, which I only reciprocate for a moment before pulling back. "Hey! That can wait, you need to finish that up!" I point down at the pile of work on his desk.

"Huh!? But, it's 4 in the morning-"

"I'll help you."

"Fine."

He reluctantly pulls back and sits down, but instead of grabbing his work, he pulls his last plate of food towards him and starts to eat. I stare at him, aghast, for a moment. "Julius... did you eat _all_ of that tonight?"

"I'm stressed out, okay?" He glares up at me playfully before grabbing a paper to look over as he chews. "Especially since you were out all night, too."

I cross my arms as I listen. "I know, I know, but four plates? You're going to get fat," I tease.

"Good. I need to work on my dad bod, anyway."

" _Dad bod?"_ I repeat, giggling a little. That's right... after this whole debacle is over, we can finally start our family. He can finally be a dad... and I can finally be a mother.

My expression softens at the thought and I quickly wrap my arms around his shoulders from behind, giving him a peck on the cheek. "Good... I love you."

He smiles to himself, satisfied, reaching up to pat my cheek. "I love you too... my sweet."

We finish up his work, then make a beeline for the library to look for information on the Underwater Temple my family referred to. Apparently it's located on the ocean floor, in the middle of a vast strong magic region off the southern coast. "It's not easy to access... but the enemy knows about the stone, so we have to retrieve it before they do," Julius muses, pointing at the map. "Ugh... which squad should I send..."

"Hmm." I'm tempted to jump and tell him to send the Crimson Lions, but another thought suddenly occurs to me. "Hey, Julius, did you ever manage to break the memory spell on those prisoners?"

He shakes his head sadly, turning to look down at me. "Sadly, no... why?"

"I was just thinking... Marx said that Asta removed the snow spell from the kids in Nean earlier tonight... so couldn't he just do the same thing to our prisoners, and remove the spell on them?"

Julius blinks a couple times, his exhausted mind quickly catching up to my suggestion. "...I'm the dumbest person in the world. Of course he could." A sleepy grin crosses his face as he starts to get excited. "Here... here's the plan: we bring Asta and Yami here tomorrow afternoon... and also the other captains - we'll say it's a captain's meeting - and then... ooh! We'll bring the captains to the dungeon and have the prisoners say who the traitor is-"

"And if it's one of them-"

"They won't be able to escape!" Julius giggles along with me, too tired to be serious despite the subject. I open my mouth to add something but he shushes me with a finger to my lips. "Shhh... it has to be a secret, though. We don't want the traitor to run out on us, hmm?"

I shake my head _no,_ grinning up at him as well. "Good idea... I really hope it isn't one of the captains though..."

"We'll be prepared for anything," Julius assures me, gesturing towards the door. He's obviously very tired and probably wants nothing more to go shut his eyes for a while, and for me to accompany him. "After the meeting, I'll tell Yami about the mission. The Black Bulls are the ideal squad to send, I doubt any of them have any reason to betray the kingdom."

That's a good point for sure, and I nod along as I follow him out into the hallway. Things have quieted down now, the halls empty and still as we make our way back to our tower. "I hope this all goes smoothly..."

Julius's chuckle is not reassuring. "I doubt it will."

* * *

"Hey, if it isn't Forehead Girl and Mushroom Head."

"It's M-A-R-X! _Not_ Mushroom Head, for the love of God!" Marx screeches at Yami, hands clenched at his sides.

"And that's _Captain_ Forehead Girl to you," I correct, smiling a little to myself at the sight of Yami and Asta walking up the stairs. Julius had Marx and I come to greet them, since Asta was about to be whisked away downstairs. Everything depended on him and his anti-magic sword. Julius was a lot more grim about the whole thing this morning, the full weight of realization finally dawning on him; we were about to expose one of our own, possibly even a friend, as a traitor.

"Fine. Captain Forehead Girl and Mushroom Head."

"MARX!"

Asta gapes up at me, his eyes flickering over my cloak and back to my face. "Whoa! You look so much better than last time! I mean-" I raise an eyebrow as he stumbles. "You look a lot healthier... and you're a Captain now, too? Cool!"

Yami sighs and rolls his eyes at his inferior's behavior. "Anyway, what did we do to deserve _both_ of the Royal Advisors?" he asks suspiciously.

"I'm here to take you to the meeting," I explain. "Marx is taking Asta. The Wizard King wanted to talk to him privately."

Yami raises an eyebrow but nods. "Fine. Let's get going, then. Have fun, Asta."

With that, we part ways, Marx heading downstairs and me heading upstairs. I give the pair one last glance before they disappear before heading forward again with Yami. "Asta's right... you were scrawny and pale just a few days ago. I guess getting out and about was good for your health," Yami tells me, glancing over at me out of the corner of his eye.

"Thanks? I guess it was. I feel a lot better, anyway," I answer, smiling at the floor for a moment. "What did you think of Licht? He's a tough one, hmm?"

Yami grimaces. "That pale idiot was annoying... always scheming and taunting. Asta and I both hit him hard at the end, though, which was satisfying."

"Asta... he's really something. In the month I was gone, he's grown so much." His cheerful smile and loud voice are the same, but now he's seen a few major battles, and held his own. I guess that just goes to show that you can't discount anyone, even a peasant with no magic at all.

"Eh. I guess he's convenient sometimes," Yami grunts, not giving me time to respond as he kicks open the meeting room door a bit rougher than he probably should. "Hey, losers."

No one reacts to his insult as he goes and sits down right between Rill and Charlotte, pulling out his katana and starting to polish it. I awkwardly wave and go to sit next to Jack on the end, folding my hands together neatly on the table.

And... we sit like that in silence for a long, long time. The only person who hasn't shown up is William.

"Ahem. I heard about your little excursion in Nean." Gueldre is the first to speak up and break the silence. "To think that four magic knights captains couldn't capture a mere terrorist... it's a disgrace. Just goes to show that your squads aren't all they're cracked up to be."

"Ka Ka, you've got a big mouth, pal," Jack hisses. "I bet you woulda done worse if you were there."

Gueldre chuckles, feigning apathy. "Tough words from someone with less stars that me~"

"Ha! You're both pathetic. Check out my new sword." Yami cuts in. "Too bad I'll be paying for it until I'm a geezer-"

"Ka ka, you were the most useless of all, remember?"

"Silence, foreigner and former peasant," Nozel glares them both down. "None of us were able to avenge Fuegoleon that day..."

Silence falls over the room at his statement, the air almost chilly. Charlotte stares pointedly at the table, her brow furrowing. Nozel's glare sweeps over us all, daring us to say anything.

_Sheesh... talk about oppressive._

I clear my throat. "Now, guys, you all-"

"Yo! Check out my Fuegoleon impression!" Rill suddenly chirps, revealing his face to us all. The resemblance is almost uncanny and I would have laughed if I weren't so shocked at the sheer _audacity..._

"What the Hell are you doing?" Nozel sneers, his eyes narrowing at the boy.

"Know your place, don't get a big head just 'cus you're the youngest captain ever," Jack hisses, his glare intense.

"Hey, take it easy on fluffy over here," Yami chuckled out, patting the boy on the back.

"He's right... Fuegoleon would think it was funny," I add, just wanting to be involved. I can't help but feel like an outsider in this situation, but now I realize I probably would prefer it that way as Nozel's wrath descends upon me.

"Would he? I'm not so sure. Where were you when he was fighting for his life, anyway?"

"I just got finished fighting for _my_ life," I shoot back, starting to feel a little annoyed. "Fuegoleon and I were defeated by the same guy, you know."

"Hmm, if he beat 6 out of 9 captains, who do you think is next?" Yami muses, uninterested in the brewing storm at the table.

Nozel draws in a sharp breath before letting it out again, calming himself down. "I'm sorry. I didn't think of that," he says, actually sounding remorseful for once.

Suddenly, the door opens, revealing none other than William, who just decided to show up. My face lights up at the sight of him, the former argument fading from my mind. "William!" 

He blinks at me for a moment before smiling brightly. "Hello... it's good to see you again, safe." He quickly makes his way to sit in the chair next to me. His reaction is oddly muted, but when is William ever overly-emotive about anything? "Congratulations on being made Captain."

"Thank you... although, I hope Fuegoleon relieves me himself, soon," I answer, thinking of how Mereoleona would actually be the one to relieve me in all likelihood.

"You're late," Nozel suddenly pipes up, drawing the masked man's attention. "Business you couldn't get out of?"

"Ah, yes." William's reply is quick. "I'm sorry, I hope I wasn't missed."

"It must be hard, leading the Kingdom's best squad," Gueldre comments, leaning forward on his elbow. "What's your secret power?"

"No secret power... my squad just works hard."

"Hard enough that you still couldn't come to the captain's meeting last week?" Nozel questions once again.

Feeling another argument coming up, I quickly raise my hands. "We all know William's job is hard, give him a break." I glance over at him. "They could have used you during the battle in the capitol, though."

William sighs, his smile not faltering. "I wish I could have been there... maybe things could have turned out differently."

Silence falls again, tense and uncomfortable. Rill makes a poor decision and yells to get our attention again. "Yo! This is my impression of Yami-"

"I'll kill you, you fluffy-haired brat!" Yami yells, jumping out of his chair and brandishing his katana. Rill screams and covers his face while Yami growls around at us all, snapped. "Where's that old man?! He better not be goofing off again while we all wait around here!"

 _Old man... he must be talking about Julius. If only he knew what was actually going on-_ My thoughts are interrupted as a screen pops up next to the table, displaying Marx's face. "Sorry to keep you waiting, everyone, but we're ready for you now. Please come down to the-"

"To Hell with that! You come up here!" Yami yells at the poor man.

Needless to say, the group starts to descend down into the max-security dungeon, where the prisoners are being kept. The other captains are whispering to each other, wondering what's going on. I bring up the rear, partly to keep anyone from skipping out last minute. Yami slows down to walk next to me, his eyes narrowed as he looks down at me. "Hey... what exactly is about to happen here?" he asks, his voice hushed.

"...you're about to find out, don't worry," I reply in a whisper. I trust Yami, but I don't want to give anything away yet.

"Jeez... that's ominous."

"Hello everyone!" Julius greets us all warmly like usual when we file into the room, but then falls silent as his stern eyes look over us. One moment of eye contact, and I know... he's found out the traitor. And it's one of the people in this room. Even Asta looks traumatized, staring hard at the ground and not even reacting when Yami calls his name.

"...what do you need, Wizard King?" William finally asks, his voice calm.

I exchange a glance with Marx, who winces and looks away. _Uh oh._ "I'm glad you asked... you see-" Julius gestures at the two restrained people behind him. "These are our prisoners, members of the Eye of the Midnight Sun. Until now, they've had a powerful memory spell placed on them, making it so Marx couldn't interrogate them. However, Asta helped us out and removed the spell with his anti-magic sword. So, we got to ask them a few questions!" He smiles a little, but it's shallow. _Oh god, even Julius is mad._ "They had plenty of answers... some very disturbing answers. They told us which one of you is working with them."

The captains all glance among each other, startled by the information. "As to who... well, I'll let them tell you." Julius's smile fades and he turns back to glare at the prisoners. "Tell me... which Captain betrayed us?"

Nobody moves. The only sound is that of Marx's spell around their heads.

Finally, they speak in unison.

"The captain of the Purple Orcas... Gueldre Poizot."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh! Gueldre has been outed as the traitor... what could possibly happen? Find out next time in chapter 67!


	67. the lioness's return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay SO I realized that my timeline was a bit off. Fuegoleon goes into his coma around September I believe, and the Nean incident doesn't happen until December (I guess the seasons are like the southern hemisphere?). In this fic, I accidentally made the Nean incident happen like 3 days after Fuegoleon's coma. So, I'm retroactively fixing that and will change the previous chapters as well. MC and the Crimson Lions spent a couple months doing business as usual before her visit to the Simulcians. Whew.

" _Gueldre Poizot."_

...

"Huh?"

Gueldre looked around to see that the others had already backed away from him, leaving a good 8 feet of space around the man. "W-w-wait! You don't actually believe these criminals, do you?" he demands, his voice panicky. "T-t-they're trying to frame me, of course!"

"No." Marx steps forward, his expression hardening. "The information obtained with my memory exchange magic is absolute... they told the truth."

"I hate to say this, but I would believe it," Charlotte mutters. "I've heard some rumors about you..."

"So have I. Nasty stuff, like your so-called business dealings," Yami added, his hand on the handle of his sword.

"You'll pay for this transgression with your death," Nozel seethes, his icy gaze locked on the poor, ham-like man.

"... Gueldre... you helped them kidnap me and Fuegoleon?" I finally speak up, drawing his attention. It's difficult to know what to feel right now... admittedly, I'm not the closest to Gueldre, but it wasn't like we were cold to each other or anything. In fact, he was always really nice and hospitable whenever I stopped by the Purple Orcas's base. But now, with the knowledge that he had a hand in hurting so many people, hurting my friends, hurting _me-_

"They're lying, they are! Why would I ever betray the kingdom!" Gueldre objects, his voice sodden with guilt.

"Well, if you're so innocent, then have Mushroom Head look into your memories," Yami suggests. "That'll clear things up."

"I agree with everything except what he called me," Marx steps in. "If you're truly innocent, prove it."

Gueldre is frozen in place like a deer caught in the headlights. Then, he suddenly raises his hand. "I'm sorry! This is a tactical exit! I'll clear my name!" he announces before casting a spell. _"Transparency Magic!"_ And just like that, he disappears from sight.

"Damn, that's not good," Yami was already pulling out his Katana. "When he's like that, we won't be able to detect his magic or hit him with magical attacks."

Everyone was ready, spells forming in their palms. "Gueldre, you coward!" Nozel yelled, mercury angrily contorting in the air around him. "Show yourself!"

" _Invisible Soldiers!"_

I feel magic condense in several places around the room as invisible attackers start to surround us. _Great! He's going to distract us with these!_ There's not much we can do but defend ourselves, so I quickly cast _Blazing Spear_ and swing through the air, cutting through the soldier barreling towards me. The other captains do the same, backing up around Julius and Marx. "Julius! Aren't you going to do something?" I call over, frowning at his lack of action. However, he's smiling despite the situation and slowly shakes his head at me. I quickly look around and realize something. "Wait... where did Asta go?"

Yami finishes dispelling his attacker and looks up at me. "Well... something tells me that a no-magic kid who can sense ki will be that fat ham's downfall."

 _... ki?_ I had heard Yami talk about it a few times but he never really explained himself. "Asta went ahead alone? Uh oh!" Rill brandishes his paintbrush and runs off up the stairs in pursuit, despite the other's complaints.

"I have a feeling the two of them will take care of it," Julius says calmly, resting his hands on his hips. "They might need help dragging Gueldre back down here, though."

He's right. By the time we make it upstairs, Rill and Asta have stopped Gueldre in his tracks, imprisoning him within a large painting that immobilized him completely. "Ah-hu-hu! I call this one _The Drowning Captain!"_ Rill tells us proudly, motioning at his masterpiece. "Asta hit him with his anti-magic sword, and he turned back visible!"

"Not bad, kid," Yami tells him, and Asta beams proudly.

We drag the painting all the way back down into the dungeon, where Marx can finally search through his memories. "Look at that... _years_ of underhanded dealings and shady business... this is how he worked his way up in power and influence, I suppose," Nozel mutters, watching the displays with narrowed eyes.

More images flash across the screens, showing the kidnapping of the barrier mages on the day the Capitol was attacked. And then...

I appear, walking down the street with my nose buried in my notebook. I don't notice the mages surrounding me, concealed with Gueldre's transparency magic. It's weird seeing myself in third person, and even worse when I watch myself get hit from all sides, collapsing in a bloody pile within an instant. The sight makes me sick to my stomach. _Gueldre... he let them do that to me? No..._ he _did that to me. He allowed them to take me away-_

A hand lands on my shoulder, pulling me from my thoughts. I look up to see Julius standing next to me, his eyes still transfixed on the memory. His face is stony, expressionless... but his eyes hold more anger than I've seen in him for a long time.

"...they tempted him with rare artifacts, and threatened him with blackmail," Marx concludes, closing his Grimoire and releasing the spell. "There's no doubt about it... Gueldre Poizot had a hand in everything so far."

"...disgusting," Charlotte mutters, glancing over at me with sad eyes. "Hurting his own comrades, and betraying the kingdom..."

"At least we know it was him," I say, reaching up to pat the hand on my shoulder. "He won't hurt anyone anymore."

"By the looks of it, someone will need to straighten out the Purple Orcas as well," Julius concludes. "I had suspicions, but this evidence is enough to confirm the corruption within that squad." He shakes his head to dispel a bad memory. "But you're right... he's not going anywhere now."

Royal Guards appear to drag Gueldre away, somewhere out of sight where he can think about what he's done. Julius takes Yami and Asta up to his office to tell them about the Underwater Temple. That leaves me and Marx to escort the rest of the captains out. Nozel stays silent at the front, glaring angrily at the ground. Even the capture of the traitor hasn't seemed to quell his guilt. Jack tries his best to stay contained as Rill goes on about his creation earlier and his new friendship with Asta. William goes on ahead by himself, not even saying goodbye. He's acting a bit strange, I have to admit, but I don't dwell on it as Dorothy and Charlotte are suddenly flanking me.

"Are you alright?" Charlotte asks me softly, surprising me a little. "After all that..."

"zzzz" Dorothy cryptically agrees.

I give the two a little smile. "Yeah, I'm okay. I'm sad that there even was a traitor, someone who would be willing to hurt me and Fuegoleon..." My voice trails off and I shake my head. "But like I said, he won't hurt us again."

Charlotte nods slowly, giving me a smile as well. "Of course. I hope this has been a victory for us. Maybe the terrorists will back off."

"Yeah... I hope so." Would the capture of one mole really stop the Eye of the Midnight Sun? I doubt it. It could slow them down, but we definitely can't slow down. The magic stones are still out there, and we won't let them be captured. "Thanks for your concern, guys."

With that, they depart, and Marx goes off to report the whole incident. By the time I reach Julius's office, Yami and Asta are just heading out. "It was good to see you again!" Asta tells me with a cheerful wave. Yami just gives me a nod before the two walk off down the hallway, Asta still chatting happily about the mission ahead of them. I smile a little to myself before pushing the door open again. Julius stands by the window, looking down onto the city and setting sun with the same stony expression as before. He seems a bit more relaxed, leaning into my touch as I approach him. "Well... the plan worked." 

"Yeah." He shakes a little, his momentary smile disappearing as quickly as it appeared. "I can't believe it, still... I trusted Gueldre, just like I trust each of the Captains. But he hurt the Kingdom. He hurt _you._ And even worse..." He brow furrows even more, emotions whirling in his lavender eyes. "I have a bad feeling that this isn't the end- no, it definitely isn't. The Eye of the Midnight Sun has permeated the Magic Knights further than we know."

The thought makes me shiver, and I'm glad that he's holding only me now. "More traitors... what are we supposed to do about them?"

Julius is silent for a long time, but I know his answer.

_I don't know._

It's a dangerous thing for a King to think.

"...I'll go find Marx. I'm sure he has something for me to do-"

"No." Julius's grip suddenly tightens around me. "Stay here. You can help me."

Slowly, I nod, looking back up into his eyes. He still looks stern, but there's a silent plead within them. _Please. Stay with me._ It doesn't take long for me to realize that today has shaken him up more than he's letting on. We joked about what to do with a captain traitor, emotionally distancing ourselves from the idea that there actually _was_ a traitor among them. To find out that was true...

And Gueldre. He fought with us. He laughed with us. He was our comrade. But he willingly threw it all away.

Julius saw the memory of my attack. He can't forgive someone who did that to me, not even a comrade. 

I'm so lost in my thoughts that I don't realize that he's actually started kissing me softly, his eyes still open, refusing to draw away from my face. I nearly jump in surprise but manage to stay still, happily melting into his embrace. Something tells me that this clingy, soft-hearted man isn't going to let me out of his sight- hell, isn't going to _let go_ of me for the rest of the night.

_If this is how I can help you... then I'll do it gladly._

* * *

"So, this is what's become of my brother's squad? Pathetic!"

About a week later, Mereoleona stands in front of us, arms crossed, barking out every insult she possibly can. The Crimson Lions, including me, all shrivel at the sound of her loud voice, which strikes fear in all of us. Yes, the Lioness has returned, and she's ready to turn everything upside down. 

"Sister! The Captain did a fine job!" Leo suddenly speaks up loudly, holding his head up high. "Everyone was about to despair when-"

"SHUT UP!" Mereoleona punches him in the face and sends him flying. "I don't care about _despair_ or whatever! True Magic Knights set aside their despair when the situation calls for it! It seems like I have a lot of work to do here..." She lets out a huff before straightening up again. "You're dismissed! Get to work!"

They can't run out fast enough, leaving me alone with my friend/mentor/subject of all my nightmares. The flame-haired woman sighs and turns to look at me, her expression only softening slightly. "I see you kept the squad alive, at least... such a violent end to their last captain would have crippled them if you didn't step in."

I'm not sure how to take that comment, but I laugh nervously in response all the same. "That was the idea... Everyone felt horrible after the attack, so I'm glad I was able to give them things to do." It's true; Julius agreed that the squad probably shouldn't take on too many major missions for the time being, especially without an experienced leader. That's why the Silver Eagles were the ones chosen to go defend the northern border with Spade instead of the Crimson Lions. I have battle experience, but not leading an actual squad into battle. The lack of major activity would probably show once the Star Festival came around, but that didn't matter in the long run. The Crimson Lions would be back to their former glory in no time.

"Hmph. Well, in any case, I'll take things from here." Mereoleona grabs my shoulders roughly and gives me a fanged smile. "Thank you, though... maybe it didn't seem like much, but I could tell that you inspired them to keep going. Bringing people back from the edge of despair is what makes a good leader, so-" She suddenly grabs my head and shakes me around roughly. "Good job. But be more aggressive next time!"

"Ah! Yes Ma'am!" I pry her hand off of my head, laughing but feeling pretty proud inside. _Mereoleona... said that I was a good leader? I'm not so sure, but I'm still honored!_

I say goodbye to the squad after that. "Don't stay away! Come on missions with us!" Leo demands, shaking my hand vigorously. "Next time we fight together, you'll see my improvement!"

"Yeah, I bet he's gonna beat you next time," Horatio teases, poking me in the side of the head hard enough that I stumble. "Don't expect me to get dragged back on another family reunion though, two is too many."

"I get it, I get it!" I say, beaming around at them. "I won't be a stranger, I promise!"

Before I leave, there's one more person that I have to say goodbye to. Someone that I've hardly been able to be around for the months that I've been captain.

"Fuegoleon... I hope you'll be happy with my work once you wake up. I did my best to take care of your squad... not as well as you could have, though."

I squeeze his cold hand as I sit here next to his bed, smiling a little to myself as I gaze at his unconscious face. Seeing him like this is hard to stomach, and I almost feel like crying as I look down at the once-mighty man.

"Wake up soon, okay? Leopold and Mereoleona are waiting for you... and so am I."

I kiss the back of his hand before laying it back on the bed. With one last glance, I shut the door behind me and head out, once again leaving this familiar base to return to the castle.

* * *

"Well, I'm sorry it had to end so soon. But now, I have you all to myself for the rest of time!"

"The rest of time!?!" There's nothing I can do to escape the fate chosen for me now, so I don't even struggle as Julius once again collapses around me, his arms squeezing and his cheek rubbing against mine affectionately. We usually spend almost every minute of every day together, so I guess me taking the days to work elsewhere took a bit of a toll on him... so I will allow this, for now. "Julius, you really are too much sometimes-"

"Oops?" He laughs heartily to himself and straightens up again, not letting go of me. "Come on, you love it, don't you~"

"...you got me there." I smile up at him sleepily before burying my face in his chest. My joints are aching and I actually feel fatigued for once. It's as if all the energy I got from being made captain is suddenly gone, leaving me to feel the physical exertion of the past months. "God... I need a vacation."

"Vacation?" Julius's eyes pop open, filled with stars. "That's a wonderful idea... how about the two of us go to Raque for a few days?"

"Ooh!" I look back up at him, feeding off of his excitement. "That sounds great... we can swim, go to the nice restaurant-"

"We can visit that hot tub again-"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

We both jump out of our skins as Marx, unseen by us, storms into the room. "No one will be spending quality time together other than you and that stack of paperwork, Julius!" he scolds, stomping up to us. "Maybe she can go, but you certainly can't!"

"What?! Marx..." Julius whines. "Ugh. Fine. It was going to be really good timing, though." I don't have time to ask what he means by that before he turns to me and reaches into his robe. "If you want to go by yourself, that's fine. But here, take this and treat yourself to whatever you want." My eyes nearly bulge out of my head as he produces a sizable stack of cash and holds it out to me with a twinkle in his eyes. "Get room service, and a day at the spa, alright? That's an order from the Wizard King!"

"Uh, er, okay." I quickly take the cash and hold it awkwardly in my hand. _Everyone already thinks he's my sugar daddy, this doesn't help!_ But the awkwardness fades as I start to get excited. "Thank you, though... I promise we'll go somewhere together eventually!" Julius smiles as I reach up to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Take care of him for me, Marx."

"Oh, I _will."_

On that ominous note, I wave goodbye and head up to my room to pack. It's still morning, so I'll have all day to enjoy myself in Raque.

At least, that's the plan. Little did I know, but my two-night vacation is going to be a whole lot more excited than I thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MC's going on a vacation?! Uh oh! What will happen once she reaches Raque? Find out in Chapter 68: the "vacation".


	68. the "vacation"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. this is the first time I've had to write all of the black bulls in this story, hopefully this bodes well for the next few chapters? Lol please let me know
> 
> 2\. Also idk if anyone else experiences this... but I think because I've written more than 60 chapters, my writing style is starting to seem very clunky to me, but maybe that's just because I'm the one writing it for so long? Idk if you guys notice it too... I am trying my best I promise T.T

The last time I went on a vacation was around my last birthday, before things started to get crazy. A few weeks before this most recent magic knights exam, Julius and I left for two nights for some place up in the mountains. We could never get away more than about two nights because of the nature of his job, and we always had to be on call to come back at any moment. Nevertheless, we managed to have fun. It was quiet, peaceful, and had many areas to hike, which I liked. It was very private and even had a nearby hot springs, which Julius liked. Vacationing with him was always better than going alone, but this time I don't have much choice. After a quick goodbye, I find Cobb and let him transport me away to Raque for two days of peace and quiet.

Well, it _would_ be quiet if I were able to be alone for more than two seconds. As soon as I check into my room at the hotel, there's a loud rapping on my door. I open it to see four familiar faces. "Look! It's true, you're here!"

Most of my Simulcian family lives out in the rural areas, but a few of them didn't take so well to the potato-farming lifestyle so they returned to work in Raque, where they could soak up the sun like their island-dwelling ancestors. Included among them are four special cases... the four children that we freed from Mikal before they were 18. Thus, they hadn't developed marks or been synchronized, so they'll age normally, eat, sleep, and have a regular life. I'm almost jealous...

But somehow, the four of them, aged 17, 18, and 19, found out that I was here and came rushing up to greet me. I had just barely changed into my bathing suit when I opened the door, and now they were bombarding me with questions.

"We heard you got kidnapped and fought a super strong dude!" Levi, the youngest, squawks.

"Mhmm! We're glad you're okay!"

"What have you been doing since then?" the twins, Naomi and Natalie chorus. They both have marks on their chests, which didn't manifest too long ago.

"Did you bring your boyfriend? Or is he too busy?" Jojo, the oldest, asks.

Even though they aren't as synchronous as my other aunts and uncles, they still talk super fast and don't give me much time to answer. "Whoa, whoa! Slow down guys!" I tell them, holding my hands up while smiling nervously. "Why don't I order some lunch for us? I'll tell you everything over a meal!"

"Nuh-uh!" they shake their heads. "We talked to the manager of the hotel, since you're a family member of so many employees, you won't be paying for anything while you're here!" Jojo explains. "We ordered some lunch before we came up here."

The information shocks me a little. "I-I won't pay... for ANYTHING?!" I repeat, aghast. _Great! What do I do with all the cash Julius gave me, then?_

I'm not feeling very hungry (as is usual), but the four of them scarf down the food at an astronomical speed as they talk. "We went and redecorated the graves the other day, maybe you should come see it later! I'm sure mom and dad would like that," Levi tells me through a stuffed mouth.

"Hmm, maybe... I saw it last time I was here, though," I answer slowly, feeling a little shiver. My grandparents are buried just outside of town, alongside their four eldest children, who died soon after. Mikal isn't buried anywhere, but that's Julius's fault. Well, Mikal's fault if you think about it. He deserved to be vaporized. "I think I'm going to go on a long walk on the beach, I'll see you guys around?"

"Of course!" They jump up to give me a group hug before running out of my room, leaving me alone at last. I let out a heavy sigh, but I can't contain the smile on my face in the end. _They're all delightful... but they're a handful!_ With that thought, I grab my hat and sunglasses and head out to walk down the beach. It's not busy today, but plenty of people are still lounging around soaking up the sun and water. It's an absolutely beautiful day, not too hot even though the sun beats down on the sand. A seagull swoops down and grabs a sandwich out of some poor man's hand. Two children collect shells down by the surf.

_Wow... what a relaxing day-_

"GAH!!! MY SANDCASTLE!"

"AHAHA! MAGNA! COME BACK HERE!"

"NO WAY, FREAK!"

Three very loud voices draw me out of my serene state, three very _familiar_ voices. Feeling a little dread, I slowly turn around and look towards the surf. The ruins of a sand castle lay stomped on the ground while none other than Asta cries over it. Nearby, the culprits run around in circles, kicking up sand and destroying everything in their path. The prey is a boy with glasses and black, slicked back hair, while the predator is a blonde boy with lightning crackling all around him. They're Magna Swing and Luck Voltia, two other members of the Black Bulls.

_...aren't they supposed to be looking for the Seabed Temple right about now?_

"Oooh!!~ Another pretty beach babe! Grey, you know the drill!"

"On it!"

Uh oh. I turn around again to see two identical men running at me enthusiastically. They both appear to be Finral, another Black Bull, and the other must be the shape-shifting Grey. "Huh? Finral?"

I quickly take off my sunglasses, and his eyes widen tenfold as the recognition hits him. "AHHH! Abort, abort!" He and Grey whirl around and sprint away in the opposite direction, apparently scared for their lives. "Geez... what did Yami tell them about me?" I wonder aloud, then realize that I've caught the attention of the other three. "Oh, hi guys..."

"Hey!!! It's you!" Asta runs up waving. He is surprisingly ripped for a boy his age. "What are you doing here?"

"Aren't you that girl who got drunk at our place?" Magna asks bluntly. Unfortunately, he remembered the event correctly... I came to their base to run a routine evaluation, but ended up being fed alcohol by one of the female members. I don't remember anything after that except waking up in my bed the next day.

"Yami says you're super strong! Wanna fight?" Luck asks, punching the air in front of him.

"... I'm on vacation," I finally reply after the barrage of questions. "And yes, that's me... that's beside the point! What are _you_ doing here?" Their expressions falter and I frown and cross my arms. "If I remember correctly, your squad should be investigating the Seabed Temple right about now... what's going on with that?"

"Oh! Oh! We are doing that!" Asta raises his hand excitedly. "Yami said that we can go find it tomorrow. Apparently the full moon will weaken the strong magic region enough to let us through the underwater barrier! So, in the meantime, we're training."

I raise an eyebrow. "Training? How so?"

"Well, Lady Noe's the one who needs the training," Magna answers. "Yami told her to produce a spell that can carry us underwater safely, so she's been training day and night!"

"Oh... I see." The thought makes me a little worried. _Yami... that's a lot of pressure to put on her..._ "Ahem. Anyway, where's Yami?"

"We don't know. He'll be home in time for dinner, though," Luck says, already getting distracted by a crab that scuttles by. He runs off to try and catch it, followed by Magna.

"Dinner..." I repeat, remembering the unused stack of cash back in my room. Suddenly, I get an idea. "Say, Asta, you don't think Yami would mind if I came over for dinner tonight, would he?"

Asta grins. "Of course not! You two are friends, right?"

"...right." I match his grin. "I think this will be fun..."

* * *

"...Charmy?! How the Hell did you make this much food!?" Yami demanded as soon as he walked into the beach house that he had rented for the squad. The smell of food wafted through the air and there was a gigantic spread on the dining room table. "I'm already in the hole for renting this damn place for a week, so you better not have payed for all of this with squad funds!"

"No, no! We didn't pay for it!" Charmy replied happily, spinning her spatula around as she fried the last few items on the grill. "It was a gift!"

"We got booze too!" Vanessa slurred, stumbling over with a bottle of wine in each hand.

Yami blinked, a little surprised. "A gift? Who in the world would give us..." 

His voice trailed off as he turned his head to see me sitting on the couch, smirking to myself. "Hey, Yami."

"...what in the world are _you_ doing here?" he asks, smiling around his cigarette. "Is Julius around?"

I shake my head, giggling a little at his face. He looks surprised still, but also happy to see me. "No, it's just me. Mereoleona came back so I was relieved of my captain duties, so I decided to take a little vacation. I didn't know you guys were loitering around Raque, still."

"We're not loitering, we're-"

"I know, I know, you're waiting for the full moon. Asta filled me in on everything already," I interrupt with a wave of my hand. "Anyway, you're welcome for all this. You can thank Julius, too, it's his money!"

Yami gives in and laughs heartily at that, while Finral appears behind him, moping around. "So it's true... he really _is_ your sugar daddy..."

"Yeah, and he'll kick you out of the magic knights if you ever make eyes at her again."

"Yami! That's not true!" I scold, glancing over at Vanessa as she flops down next to me. _I need to be careful, she convinced me to get drunk last time... I think..._ "Julius doesn't get jealous, anyway."

"Enough talk about jealousy! Let's eat!" Vanessa exclaims, throwing an arm around my shoulder. "Drink all ya' want, this is thanks to you, after all!"

_Oh boy._

The Black Bulls descend upon the meal like the seagulls descended upon that poor guy's sandwich earlier. I've never seen a group of people eat more ravenously, especially not the smallest girl, Charmy, who eats like a beast! I sweetly ask how old she is and am shocked when she replies "nineteen!" Magna and Luck quickly get into a contest to see who can eat the most while Finral just chews silently alongside Guache, who hasn't spoke a word to me this entire time. "Say, where's Asta? And Noelle too? I haven't seen them all night?" I ask, a little worried.

"Oh, they're out training together! Hopefully Noelle can get a spell together tonight, we need to leave for the Temple tomorrow!" Finral says.

"Oh, I see. I'm sorry they missed this," I say forlornly as I eat another bite. Vanessa is already pouring me another glass of wine as soon as I finish my first, and it takes every shred of willpower within me not to start drinking it. 

Eventually, the food is gone. Yami knocks loudly on the bathroom door. "MAGNA! You better hurry up, or else I'll make you clean up your mess!"

Vanessa, who's very drunk at this point, gets a twinkle in her eye as an idea occurs to her. "H-Hey, Luck, truth or dare?"

"Huh?" Luck blinks innocently.

"You heard me, pick one!"

"Oh! Dare."

Vanessa giggles. "I dare you to eat the rest of Magna's pudding before he gets back!"

Luck's eyes light up. "Yahoo!" He dives towards the bowl and starts devouring it, coaxing a roar of laughter from the others. "Mmm, stolen pudding is always better than regular pudding!"

"Me next! Luck, ask me!" Finral nearly jumps out of his seat.

"Haha, okay, truth or dare?" 

"Truth! Ask me who I like! Please!"

"Who here do you want to fight most?"

"D'oh!!" Finral deflates at the question. "Ah, well, uh- I don't really want to fight _anyone,_ you know-"

"Fight me, Finral!" I speak up with a playful smile. "That'll be fun! It's been a while since I fought a spatial magic user!"

Finral jitters in his seat. "Ah! No, no, no! You'd probably destroy me!"

"Probably." I wink over at him innocently. "Not while I'm tipsy, though..."

Everyone laughs again, and Finral seems to relax. "Alright, I would fight you... but only if you were drunk!" More giggles erupt at the memory of my last visit with them, and my ears start turning red. "Next... Gauche!" Finral suddenly bites his lip mischievously. "Truth or dare?"

The brooding man scowls from behind his bangs. "You know I don't like these things, but since we have nothing better to do..." He huffs. "Dare."

"OooOoh, an adventurous pick!" Finral snickers. "I dare you to compliment someone other than your sister!"

Gauche glares around at us as we start laughing again, this time at his expense. "...pick something different."

"Ahah! I knew you would say that!" Finral points at a half-full wine bottle. "I dare you to drink the rest of that."

"...fine." Gauche grabs the bottle, takes a sip, then flops back down into his seat leisurely. "...what?" he demands as we all stare at him, confused as to why he isn't chugging. "You didn't say how quickly I had to drink it!"

"Ugh! Cheater!" Charmy scolds, hitting him over the head playfully. "Pick someone now!"

"No, someone else do it."

Gauche isn't budging, but Vanessa decides to take another turn. "Hmm..." Her gaze flits from each of us until it lands on my face. "You... truth or dare?"

Uh oh. I gulp a little as I make my decision. _If I pick dare, she might make me take a shot or something... I can't do that now. So..._ "Truth!"

Vanessa's eyes light up at my answer. "Good! I have something I've been itching to ask you." She points at me lazily, draped over the side of the couch. "The Wizard King... how is he?"

I had a feeling she was going to ask me something about him. "Hmm? What do you mean, how is he?" Not many people know about our relationship, but once they do they're awfully curious about the whole thing. _What's he like as a boyfriend? Does he have a lot of time for you? Is he romantic? Is he a good kisser? Is he-_

"I mean..." Vanessa sticks out her tongue playfully. "How is he in bed?"

"AHHH! VANESSA!" Finral screams, aghast. "Y-y-you can't just ask her that! That's the Wizard King we're talking about!"

"Vanessa! That's not how you treat a guest!" Yami scolds, looking pretty miffed himself. "What're you thinking, asking her about-"

They all freeze when I raise my hand calmly to silence them. "It's alright, Yami... I don't blame her for being curious. I get this question a lot actually." I smile a little. "I can't just go around sharing that kind of thing though... it's a _state secret."_ I punctuate my point with a wink. If I told everyone that he was literally a god in bed, then they would get jealous for sure.

"Aww." Vanessa slides back down in her seat. "Well, in that case, answer this: how old are you? I can't really tell."

"Oh!" I let out a little laugh. "I'm 26!"

"TWENTY SIX?!"

Both Finral and Vanessa's jaws drop. "Jesus Christ... I could have sworn you were younger than both of us-"

"FINALLY!" Magna is thrown out of the bathroom by Yami, rolling to a stop in the middle of the room. "Ugh... what did I miss?"

"A game. Oh!" Vanessa points at Luck. "Your pudding is no more!"

"LUCK!!!!"

The two start throwing down right in the living room, nearly tearing the wall down. We all laugh and cheer them on, even me. It's not often that I can just let loose and have fun like this. Even at home, most of the parties I attend are formal gatherings with lots of stuffy nobles. But here... the Black Bulls are just being themselves, and I love that.

Suddenly, a giant surge of mana hits us all, pausing the mayhem. It's coming from somewhere far away, but it's strong enough that it's still felt in the house. "That magic..." Yami's eyes widen. "That's Noelle's magic!"

 _Noelle?!_ The mana is immense, but it's unformed, uncontrolled. "She could be in danger!" 

Without a second to spare we all jump up and run off to the beach, following the signal that keeps getting stronger and stronger. "This has happened before, she lets out all her magic without any control. She nearly died last time," Finral explains. "But Asta's with her, maybe he'll be able to stop it."

"She nearly died?!" I repeat, my heart pounding. I knew Noelle was trying hard to control her magic better, but she could get hurt if she pushed herself too far. She had a lot of pressure on her right now, in fact the whole opperation depended on her new spell. But if she got hurt...

* * *

_"Noelle?"_

_Her silver hair flutters as she sharply looks around to see me standing nearby. I was just on a routine walk late at night when I spotted her leaning against the windowsill, looking out longingly across the night-cloaked city. "What are you doing out so late? You're going to be all tired tomorrow, when you have to-" I cut myself off as I realize that, despite her best efforts to hide it, Noelle's eyes are red. "...Noelle... is everything-"_

_Before I can finish, the girl throws herself into my arms. I react immediately, wrapping my arms around her tightly. It doesn't take long to figure out what's wrong. Tomorrow is the day of the new knight exams, but Noelle was exempt from those. Instead, her family decided which squad she was to join for her. And that squad was..._

_"I don't want to do it," Noelle whispered, her voice a little hoarse. I'd never seen her like this, so... vulnerable. She always acted like royalty, always being a little bossy and cheerful when she was around me and Julius. But after everything she had to deal with, every single day, it was showing through the cracks. "I can't become a magic knight."_

_"Oh? Why not?" I stand back a little, rubbing her shoulders comfortingly. "Noelle, if this is about-"_

_"It's not just that," she interrupts, wiping her eyes. "My siblings... if I join the Black Bulls tomorrow, they'll never let me forget! I know I'm just going to be a burden on that squad, the_ worst _squad, even. If I join that squad, this will never end."_

_She closes her eyes, as if to shut out the terrifying future she saw for herself. She was so afraid to move forward, all because of her past..._

_But she needed to move forward. Just like I had to._

_"Noelle... you talked to Yami the other day, right?"_

_Slowly, she nodded. "He was kind of rude-" She stops talking as I let out a snort of laughter. "What?"_

_"n-Nothing, nothing, it's just-" I shake my head. "That sounds like Yami!"_

_Despite the tears in her eyes, Noelle can't help but giggle along with me, the mood lightening instantly. "He's a friend of yours, right?"_

_"Yeah, from back when I was a magic knight," I explain. "You see... the Black Bulls might not be the best squad. But, despite how he looks, Yami is a great teacher. Maybe this is the step you need to take to grow. I know you have it in you, Noelle. If you stay here, you'll be living in your family's shadow forever. But if you take the chance and go out there-" I gesture out the open window. "I think you'll be happy with what you find."_

_Noelle stares up at me, pondering my words. There's still doubt in her wide eyes, but there's something else there, too._

_Because, just like everyone else, she wants to prove herself. And she can't do that from within these castle walls._

_"... you think I can do it? Really?"_

_"I never had any doubt."_

* * *

"NOELLE!"

Noelle floats within a gigantic swirling vortex of water, completely out of control. We all skid to a stop near the bottom, wide-eyed with awe and fear. "Yami, do something-" I turn to see that Yami isn't with us. _What?! How can he leave us at a time like this? Unless..._

"Hey!!! Noelle!" Magna suddenly yells, cupping his hand over his mouth. "Are you really going to transport us to the temple in that thing? I thought you had more in you!"

"Noelle! Hurry up and get stronger so we can fight!" Luck quickly follows up.

"I have plenty of food down here when you're done!" Charmy holds up a heaping plate that she somehow managed to carry over here.

"If you fall, don't worry, I'll catch you!" Finral promises.

"Then we can all relax and have a drink!" Vanessa yells, waving her bottle around.

Noelle floats there, frozen, as she stares down at us, her eyes widening when she sees the faces of the people who came to support her. She looks a bit shocked when she spots me there, but I smile along with the others. "Noelle..."

"We know you can do it!" we all shout together, Asta's voice growing louder than the rest.

The mana strengthens, consolidating, controlling itself, until the vortex shapes itself into a hollow orb of water. " _Sea Dragon's Cradle!"_

"YEah!!! That's it, Noelle!"

She smiles to herself in the middle of her creation for a moment before releasing it. She screams as she starts to fall, but Asta jumps into action quickly and catches her gently before she hits the ground. "Aw, but that was my job!" Finral whines.

"Thanks to you, we'll have no problem getting to the seabed temple now," Asta tells her happily as he sets her down. 

"Right... I really did it," Noelle says, still in shock before looking around. "Kahono! Did you see-"

She seems to be talking to no one, which is kind of weird, but she's quickly distracted as the rest of us run over. "Everyone... you all came... and-" She looks up at me, still a bit shocked. "I didn't expect to see you here!"

"I didn't want to miss that, after I missed your first month as a magic knight," I tell her with a twinkle in my eye. "I told you, Noelle.... I never had a doubt that you could do this."

Noelle's eyes light up at the praise, but she tries to play it cool still. "W-well, of course I could do it! I'm royalty!"

The others laugh at her behavior. "Well, you guys better go to bed, you have a long day tomorrow."

"Right! Luck, Asta, race you back to the house!"

Magna and the boys run off while the rest of us trail behind, the squad's spirits lifted by the mission tomorrow. Yami is waiting for us outside the house, smoking as usual. "Oh? You actually did it? Good job. Now go to bed," he orders brusquely, but I can see him smiling behind the cig. The others filter into the door while I loiter around, looking up at the night sky. "So? What did you think?"

"I think you put a lot of pressure on the poor girl," I scold him lightly, turning my gaze back to him. "But in the end... I guess it paid off. A little pressure can turn coal into diamond, after all."

"Shit, that's good," Yami grumbles, smiling over at me. "What's your plan, then?"

I shrug a little at the question. "Oh, just stay here for another night, then go home. You know how it is." I feel little forlorn that they're leaving tomorrow. It would be fun to see them in action, but if they're on the mission-

"Wanna come with?"

"...huh?" Yami's question doesn't register all the way at first as I stare at him, dumbfounded.

"You heard me. It's decided, you're coming with us to the Seabed Temple."

"W-whoa, wait just a second! I have to be back the day after tomorrow, I promised Julius-"

"You'll be back in time-" Yami waves his hand dismissively. "If everything goes to plan, at least. But with you there, I'm sure it'll go faster."

"Yami, I'm not going to be your attack dog-"

"Sheesh! So you _don't_ want to come?"

He raises an eyebrow at me as I'm silent for a few moments. Then, I let out a heavy sigh. "Fine... I'll come. But you owe me if I'm late!"

"You don't need money, you creepy forehead sugar baby!"

"I'M NOT A SUGAR BABY!"

Yami smirks and waves as he turns to walk back into the house. "Whatever. See you tomorrow."

Despite his teasing and all-around annoying attitude, I can't help but grin stupidly to myself. _A trip to the seabed temple... what a vacation this turned out to be!_

"Alright, see you tomorrow!"

With that, I walk off into the night, wondering what exactly tomorrow will bring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time! Chapter 69 (nice): the temple. The Black Bulls + 1 head down to the seabed temple. What strange people will they meet? And will everything go according to plan? Of course not!!


	69. the temple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. God I forgot how much I hate rehashing canon events lmao
> 
> 2\. oooOoo mystery dream time

_"Dad! Don't tell me you're leaving again?"_

_Father turns around to look at me, a guilty expression on his face. "Er, you got me there..." He sighs as my face falls before he turns back to look down at me. "I'm sorry... but there's so much more of this world left to see! I'll be back soon, I promise!" He reaches out to ruffle my blonde hair, but I duck away before he can._

_"...I wish you were here for longer." I cast my eyes away from him, my fists clenched at my sides. "Mom hates being alone."_

_"I know... but, listen." He rests his hand on my shoulder. "You're almost 20 now, you need to take care of her while I'm gone. One day soon, I'll come back for good, okay?"_

_Slowly, I look back up into his eyes. "...you promise?"_

_He closes his eyes as he smiles widely. "Pinky Promise!" He holds out the finger and I can't help but giggle. It's something we used to do when I was just a kid, but I reach out and link my finger with his anyway._

_"Pinky Promise."_

_But would he really ever stay here for good? In a place that he never felt like he belonged?_

_I wave goodbye as he marches away over the hill, towards the mountains to the east. "See you soon! Oh, and I almost forgot!" He gives me a wink and a thumbs up._

_"Have fun at the wedding!~"_

* * *

"Hey, are you still alive?"

I nearly jolt out of my skin as Yami punctuates his grunt with a rough nudge with this boot. "Ah! Don't scare me like that!" I shift a little from where I sit, protected within Noelle's Sea Dragon's Cradle with the rest of the Black Bulls. We set out tonight to find the Seabed Temple and have been travelling for a while. After Noelle's spell successfully got us through the barrier into the strong magic zone, the view outside is beautiful and pristine, the oceanic landscape stretching far and wide. Apparently the signal to Gauche's magic mirror fizzled out, so he grumbles to himself in the corner. Magna is desperately trying to keep Luck from swimming out to "fight a shark" or something while Vanessa looks like she might throw up. Grey and Charmy look identical now, and Finral gazes out the front with wide, wonder-filled eyes. I took the opportunity to sit down and zone out for a while. "I was just... thinking."

"Thinking about what?" Yami questions, raising an eyebrow at my tone. "Hopefully the mission."

"That too," I assure him. "But last night... something strange happened. I haven't had a dream in... well, in _years._ But last night, I had one."

"Hmm... isn't that a good thing?"

"I don't know, it's more weird than anything." Even stranger, the dream felt so... _real._ More like a memory than a dream. That man in the dream looked a lot like my dad, but my father never traveled. And a wedding? Who was getting married?

"Well, don't fall asleep again, we'll be there soon," Yami warns me. "In fact..." He points up ahead, where a sudden dome of violently swirling whirlpools appears up over the horizon. "That's powerful magic... the border of the Underwater Temple."

I quickly stand up with the others as we hurdle towards the dome, and get a little shiver down my spine. I remember what my family told me about that Simulcian from long ago, Carter. He brought the stone with him when he explored this region. He never returned, due to either death or... he just decided to stay. _Well, we're about to see what he saw back then. Hopefully they still know where the stone is._

"Those whirlpools will tear us to shreds if we get too close, I can feel it," Noelle warns us, her hand on her hand shaking. "What do we do?"

"Well, we'll have to break through it, right?" Yami crosses his arms and looks expectantly at Asta. "Can you do it?"

"Aha, here's the thing captain," Asta laughs nervously, holding his sword gingerly. "Coming to the beach has taught me something very interesting... apparently, I can't swim-"

Before he finishes, Yami picks him up by the back of the shirt. "Who the hell said anything about swimming!" he roars, and there's nothing we can do to help while Yami chucks the poor boy, screaming, out of our cradle. He sails towards the barrier and, more out of self-preservation than anything, swings his sword and cuts through it. A gap appears just long enough for us to sail through. "There's air in here!" Noelle exclaims, quickly releasing her spell. We drop down onto something that resembles a big stone pillar, catching our balance before getting our first good look at the seabed temple.

"...whoa..."

Inside this sheltered bubble is a whole city, rising out of the rocks in massive, towering structures. One building dwarfs them all; that must be the proper temple. "That must be it... I bet that's where they keep the stone," I say, pointing out over the landscape. "It could take us a while to walk-"

"Charmy."

"Yes!" 

Charmy responds to Yami's order and produces a thick cloud of cotton under us, lifting us up off the ground. "Forward!" she commands, and the cloud obeys flawlessly.

"Wow, this makes it easier," I say, smiling over at the short girl. "Cotton magic, huh..."

"Yep! It's extremely useful! And my sheep cooks are always ready to make a meal!" she tells me proudly.

The cloud sails through the city until we reach the main street. To our surprise, this place is pretty populated, and the citizens start emerging when we set foot on the stony ground. They look at us with wide eyes, filled with... delight? _At least they aren't going to cause any trouble. Hopefully the people in the temple are just as nice!_

After a less-than optimal interaction with one of the men, Yami points us in the direction of the temple. "The High Priest is the one in charge here, he'll know where the stone is if it's still around. Don't drag your feet!" he barks at us before turning and walking off. I stay close to him at the front while the rest trail behind, a small entourage of seabed citizens flanking us. "Grey! Don't turn into Gordon and flirt with them! That's my job!" Finral whines as Grey attracts a small crowd of girls around them. 

"Here's the temple! The priest will be in there waiting for you!" one of our guides tells us as we reach the large front doors.

"Thank you... you guys later!" Asta says, waving goodbye as we walk inside.

"See you later! ... If you make it out alive."

No one caught that last part before the doors slammed shut, leaving us alone in the dark hallway.

"... everyone's been a bit _too_ nice so far, don't you think?" I whisper to Yami as we walk. "I mean, hopefully it keeps going well, but..."

My voice trails off as something growls in the dark. Slowly, we all turn around to look up into the dripping maw of a monstrous fish. Everyone screams at once, but Luck, Guache, and Magna seem more than willing to take care of it. With one flash of combined energy, fire, and lightning, the fish explodes into little particles, fading away as it's enormous mana disappears. "What in the world was that? Who-"

"He he he..."

There's an old man standing close by now, smiling to himself creepily. "Yo, are you the boss around here?" Yami demands, pointing at him. "What kind of welcome was that?"

"Forgive me. I wanted to test your strength before you entered my temple," the old man tells us, still grinning. I eye him up and down, taking in his white robes and long, gravity-defying ponytail. "My name is Gifso, and I am the High Priest of this Temple. It's been a long time since we've had any visitors down here!" He chuckles again, squinting his eyes. "You're here for the magic stone, aren't you?"

Yami's attention is caught by that. _The stone is here! After 500 years, they still kept it here. So, Carter didn't die on his journey to the temple,_ I think to myself, glancing between Yami's poker-face and the Priest. "Well... why don't we play a little game for it, heh heh-"

"A game? That sounds like it could be dangerous... he might just be playing with our lives..." Finral whispers to Gordon- er- Grey, who nods in agreement. 

Gifso smirks, his eyes going glassy. "This game... is something I like to call-"

A blink of the eye, and suddenly he's standing in front of Noelle, Vanessa, and I.

"-the boob-squeezing-"

He doesn't get to finish as Noelle acts almost instinctively, driving him into the ground with a powerful fist. "AHHH!"

"NOELLE! Don't attack the Priest, please!" Asta begs her. "He's important!"

"Oh? And I'm royalty," Noelle retorts, driving Gifso further with her heel on his back. Admittedly, if I wasn't so shocked at the comment I probably would have done the same thing. "There are some people you don't joke around with!"

"Ah, I was just kidding!" Gifso jumps to his feet and nervously backs off. "About my game..."

"We don't have time for your game, you geezer!" Magna suddenly exclaims, shaking his fist angrily. "How did you know we wanted the stone, anyway?"

Gifso shrugs mysteriously. "I can tell... you want it for your kingdom, correct?"

Magna, Luck, and Gauche immediately begin scheming. "So, we should just steal it, right?"

"What?! We can't do that!"

"My, my, how about this:" Gifso offers. "If you win the game, I won't just give you the magic stone, I'll throw a big feast with lots of food, drink, and cute girls!"

"I'M IN!" Finral, Charmy, and Vanessa chorus right away.

 _That was quick..._ "Yami, do we really have time to be playing this game?" I whisper over to him while the others get riled off. "I mean, we don't have much choice, but it there's another way-"

"ALRIGHT! That's settle then. Come on out!" Gifso yells into the dark hallways, and instantly a group of 10 cloaked and masked figures run out to confront us. They stop short of attacking us, but I can feel the mana radiating off them, eager to fight. _These guys... they must be as powerful as senior magic knights,_ I think to myself, narrowing my eyes as I watch them carefully. _I have a feeling I know what's about to happen here._

"These are my disciples! The ten most powerful mages in the temple, other than myself," Gifso tells us gleefully. "Now that everyone's here... let's get started!" 

"Wait, already!?" Asta cries out.

"And, what are we doing, exactly?" Noelle follows up, looking concerned. 

Gifso answers neither of them before raising his arms and Grimoire. "Let the games... begin!!"

I don't know what to expect, so I have no chance of escaping once a huge blast of water hits our group from all sides. "AHH!" I instantly lose sight of the others as I get washed away through the torrent, thrown around like a doll with no way to fight the powerful current. All I can do is squeeze my eyes shut and hold my breath, curling up slightly in order to avoid hitting anything. _Yami!! If I'm late because of this-_

Suddenly, the water spills me out onto the ground, retreating as soon as it appeared. I let out a gasp, spluttering slightly as I swallow a few much-needed breaths of air. Once my head clears, I sit up and look around to see that I'm in some sort of dark, wet cavern. Water drips from the surface and pools in divits in the ground. _How strange... I feel like I'm deep underground. It's a bit chilly, too-_

_"Test, test, test! Hello everyone?"_

The loud voice of Gifso nearly makes me scream in shock as it comes bellowing through the tunnel. "He has some explaining to do!"

" _As you can see, you've been scattered to different parts of the temple along with my 10 disciples! It is here that you will fight, 10 on 10!"_

Oh, a battle royale? It does sound pretty fun, but I've been fighting way too much lately! Gifso finishes up his explanation before going off the air, leaving me alone in silence once again. What should I do? Start walking? I can probably fight pretty well on my own, but I'd like to meet up with the others. I'm sure some of them will struggle, and I'm a little worried about Noelle. _I don't want to be overprotective, but Noelle doesn't know any attack spells, does she? I better go find the others at least so we can get this over with._

With a heavy sigh, I stagger to my feet and brush myself off before heading out into the darkness. 

_Come to think of it... Gifso said 10 on 10, right? I know there were 10 disciples, but there's 10 black bulls plus me. That's 11... did someone get left out?_

* * *

"Old man! What's the meaning of this?!"

Yami taps his foot angrily as he sees that he's been transported to some small room, along with Gifso. "Don't I get to fight, too?"

Gifso snickers and shakes his head. "You have one more person than my team, so it made sense to pull you out. Plus-" His eyes twinkle. "You're much too powerful for my disciples. So why don't you join me in watching the game?" He gestures over at a table and chairs, set up with a large spread of seafood.

Yami stares at the old man for a moment longer before letting out a harsh laugh. "Sounds good to me! Lets see if my losers can beat yours! You shouldn't discount them so much."

"We'll see, we'll see!" They sit down and Gifso waves his hand, allowing a lattice of screens to appear. "My game magic lets me see the entire battlefield. We won't miss any important moments!" Yami's eyes scan over the screens, spotting each one of his squad members, plus one guest.

"You know... that one there-" He points at me. "You should have pulled her out, if you were worried about _me."_

"Oh? Why not? Isn't she on your squad?" Gifso asks, a little concerned.

Yami chuckles around his cigarette. "No... she's an advisor to the Wizard King." Gifso's eyes widen a little at the admission. "Not only that, but she's definitely on the level of a Magic Knight's Captain... or possibly higher."

"H-Higher?" Gifso winced a little, wondering if he made a mistake.

"Yeah... the last time I saw her fight seriously was when a neighboring country invaded our kingdom," Yami explains, his eyes still fixed on the screens. "Her magic is... interesting. You'll see."

He smiles to himself as the game begins, a game that will end in a way that no one here ever suspected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time!! Chapter 70: the beast. An unwelcome guest crashes into the temple, vowing to bring despair to all.


	70. the beast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. oh fuck I accidentally started to breeze through this arc as well... oops? I think you will like what happens at the end of this arc, though :)
> 
> 2\. Ideally, I would like this story to be UNDER 100 chapters and I still have quite a few scenes to do. I'm actually planning to integrate some stuff from the light novels in here because they are hilarious.
> 
> 3\. Also... :(( interaction on this story keeps going down noooo

"Shell Magic: Scallop Swarm!"

Shell magic, huh? It's not something I've ever heard of before, which alone makes this fight worth partaking in. The first seabed temple mage I encounter is wearing a mask in the shape of a goblin shark, not something I ever expected to see, admittedly. He holds up his hand, discharging a large school of fluttering shells towards me. They're fast, and from the precise way they zoom around I can tell that he has complete control over each one. Impressive! _These disciples really are powerful... but..._

I hold up a hand, flaming wings bursting forth. I manage to block most of the shells, which break instantly like glass. However, a few zip around my shield and head straight for me. My eyes widen slightly in shock as they graze my arms and cheek. "Ouch! They're sharp?"

"Heh heh, they sure are," the mage taunts me. However, his smile is still good-natured, reminding me that this is all just a game. "Fire magic, huh? Unfortunately, you're miles underwater, I doubt that's going to work in such a damp place like this."

He was right, I noticed that my spell wasn't quite as powerful as usual, due to the immense amount of water mana that surrounds this place. "Ah, that's too bad... good thing that's not my only attribute."

"...not your only- what do y-"

Right in the middle of his question, I move behind him as quick as I can right now, accelerating my movements. He blinks, unsure of where I went. Before the wind even catches up to me, I ball up my fist. _Sorry! Hopefully this won't hurt too much-_ I hit him once hard in the back of the head, knocking his lights out immediately. He crumples to the ground once he lands, the back of his head smoking slightly. I wince a little and run over to check him. _Whew, he's alright!_ I brush my hands off as I straighten back up to look forward once more. _One down... who knows how many are left. Hopefully the others can take a few of these enemies out, so we can just get the stone and go home!_

With that thought, I take off running, eager to finish this.

Ideally, we would beat the rest of the temple mages and get our hands on the stone. I'm still a little curious about how it got here, and more so about the life of the Simulcian explorer Carter who brought it. Did Gifso know anything about him? Did Carter have any descendants? It's unlikely, but it would be neat if it were true. Once we got the stone, Finral could take us home. He told me once that he can open a portal only to places he'd been before, so the trip home will be much quicker than the trip here. If we finish this game up quickly, the faster I can get home, and Julius won't have time to get worried about me. I know he's going to be eagerly awaiting my return, which I said would be sometime within the next day. If I _don't_ show up on time... he's going to freak out. The wound of my earlier disappearance is still fresh in his heart, and I really don't want to make him upset. He's not the type who gets mad, and never at _me,_ but I don't want to push my luck. I just want him to be happy, you know?

_But I'm sure he'll be happy to have an eye-witness to tell him all about this trip! As long as we're back within the next 24 hours-_

Just as I think that, a monstrous force hits somewhere up above, causing the tunnel I'm in to shake. "Eek!" I almost lose my balance and have to stop to steady myself as small pieces of debris rain down on me. _What in the world was that? An earthquake? Or-_

Mana seeps into the ground and air around me, freezing my blood as my heart rate picks up tenfold. It's a powerful, dark, downright _disturbing_ aura coming from somewhere in this temple. It can't mean anything good. _The kids... are they facing something terrifying right now!?_ The thought occurs to me that we may not be the only ones looking for the stone in this temple. That guy Rhya managed to learn of the location, after all. But they're here? At the same time as us? What are the chances of that?! Without thinking, I begin running again, frustrated as the passageway twists on and on with no end. _I don't have time to lose!_ The ominous mana lingers threateningly. Is this one of Gifso's traps? Or something more sinister? Was that man actually trying to kill us?!

A few more minutes of running later, the "intercom" crackles back to life and I hear none other than Yami's voice blaring through the temple. _"Listen up! We have some unexpected guests, terrorists from the eye of the midnight sun."_ I skid to a stop at his words, my eyes widening. _So it is them! They're too determined!_

_"They've got some super strong guys too... I can't help you from where I am, so you're going to have to fight them alone. All of you... surpass your limits, right here and now!"_

I know that his speech is meant mostly for his squad members, who are not the most battle-seasoned fighters in the Kingdom. Yet, his words also fill me with a little strength. With a deep breath, I remind myself of a few important key facts. They probably aren't after _me._ They won't be able to take me off-guard again. And finally, there are 9 other Magic Knights here to fight alongside. 

_We can do this... I don't know what's going on with Yami, but he can just sit back and watch!_

As I begin to run once more, I don't know that Luck and Magna are fighting for their lives against the beast himself, Vetto, the one Yami encountered not too long ago. The others race against time to join them, Asta, Kiato, Kahono, and Noelle joining soon after. 

_I have to reach them... I don't know what this enemy could be. This mana doesn't feel like Licht's, but it's something unfamiliar. Someone I've never met before. It doesn't matter! I'll do what Yami told me to, and surpass my limits!_

However, I can't join the fight if I can't find it! But I do eventually run into a man wearing a familiar eye-clad white cloak. _Good... this must mean I'm getting close!_ I think as I breeze past him. I'm not about to let someone like that stand in my way. _But still, this place is like a maze, how am I ever going to find my way to the right spot-_

Just as that thought occurs to me, bright, powerful mana flares up somewhere to oppose the dark mana. My eyes widen as it calls to me, almost like a beacon. It's strong, dense, yet untamed and wild.

_...Noelle!_

To think that Noelle was producing a spell like that... more than ever, I didn't want to miss it. More importantly, though, I now have an idea of where to go, so I change directions and start running towards her magic. _Noelle, hold on... or even better, finish him off! I know you can do it!_ Her Royal mana is oppressive, even to me, and it all but blots out the ominous magic that had been running through the temple constantly. The sounds of a fight become louder, especially one booming crash that I can't imagine being anything other than a finishing blow. _Huh, maybe I won't actually have to do anything-_

Her mana fades, and then something horrible happens.

Once again, I freeze, sliding to a halt as more ominous mana wells up, more powerful than before. This feeling... it's like death. Dread. 

_Despair._

But at the same time, this demonic mana is familiar, frighteningly so. I can't remember where I encountered it, but something within me stirs as the magic permeates the temple once again. My hands start to shake before I can really even decide if I'm scared. It's like my fight or flight response is automatically going off, screaming at me to either run in the other direction or run into the fight. Right now, I'm leaning towards the first option...

But I can't.

_Noelle is facing this alone. She's alone._

I remember that little girl running away down the hallway, glancing back at me once before disappearing from her disapproving brother's eyes.

_"Get out of sight."_

The dreadful mana thickens as an attack charges up. Vetto laughs loudly to himself as Noelle stares at him in horror. With the Third Eye upon his brow and mountains of mana in his hands, he finally looks back down at the scared girl. "Now... filthy royal..." he raises his hands, ready to discharge a powerful attack. "DESPAIR!!"

I turn the corner into the wide cavern just in time to see a large, hairy man with sharp teeth and a _third eye_ shoot his massive, demonic spell at Noelle, who stands there shaking with her wand in her hand. There's a huge hole blasted through the wall behind the man, who I assume is Vetto, the beast magic user, a hole that must have been created by Noelle's spell. 

There's not much time to size up the scene, I can tell that Vetto's spell is one that's going to wipe out Noelle if I don't move.

"NOELLE!!!"

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"Stop moping around and keep working! You don't have time to spare."

"Ugh..." 

Julius rests his forehead on his fist as he glares down at the spread of unfinished paperwork on his desk. The more he looked at it, the less he wanted to get started. It didn't help to have Marx constantly breathing down his neck. "Look, I know you wish you were at the beach right now, but that's just not possible. She's coming back today after all."

"Hmph. I suppose." Julius closed his eyes momentarily, the moonlight casting his features in shadow. "Still... I would be a lot more productive if I got a break." His lips curled into a goofy smile. "I hope she's having fun at least... soaking up the sun... swimming... eating good food... getting a massage... frolicking around in her bikini-"

"FOCUS!"

"Ah, alright!" Julius was startled into picking up his pen, surprisingly getting right back to work. Marx sighed heavily and shook his head. "I'll get you some coffee. Don't slack off while I'm gone!"

"Alright!"

Of course as soon as Marx shut the door, Julius started staring off into space again, this time out the window into the starry night. He had other things weighing on his mind, especially the Black Bull's mission to the Seabed temple. He wondered if I had seen them before they left. We were in the same place, after all.

_She's probably "sleeping" right now. I should be with her... it would have been so perfectly romantic. But it doesn't matter, I'll see her sometime in the next day. And then... well.._

His smile grew as he started working again. He ignored his growing headache for the time being.

_You'll see. Sleep well, darling!_

* * *

The dust finally starts to settle. I managed to shoot in front of Noelle before the spell hit her, without any real plan. I simply threw up a shoddy _chrono stasis,_ hoping that would be enough to freeze his spell. I squeezed my eyes shut and concentrated, hearing rocks and flames cracking all around me. _Please don't die please don't die please don't die-_

And just like that, it's over. I blink my eyes open again, panting for breath as everything comes back into focus. I'm still standing, a faint taste of blood in my mouth, and I hear Noelle gasp in shock behind me. _Did that actually work? I didn't have much time to prepare._ I'm injured a little, scorched from the power of Vetto's spell nonetheless. _This isn't something natural... it's creepy! But-_

I finally realize the true reason we're mostly unharmed. I look down to see none other than Asta crouching in front of both of us, his two anti-magic swords clutched in his hands. It takes everything I have to not let my jaw drop. _Asta... you protected both of us? Your swords can even deflect a spell like that?_

"Noelle... that was an amazing spell..." he pants, clearly already hurt but still standing. His gaze flickers back to me, curiosity in his eyes. "And that spell you used... that was-"

"Watch out!" Noelle yells as Vetto comes running at us once again, a grin on his beastly face. We manage to avoid him, splitting up. "Noelle! Protect the others!" Asta orders. I glance over to see Noelle running towards a group of injured bodies, none of them moving. The sight is disturbing... Luck and Magna look like they've been beaten to a pulp, there's a girl there laying unresponsive, and a boy with his foot chopped clean off. _Vetto did all of this?! Magna and Luck... you guys fought him alone, didn't you?_ A spark of anger fills my chest at the thought of them getting hurt. Not to mention the other two, who look like they are from the temple. _We need to defeat Vetto and get out of here, before they get worse!_

"Asta, are you alright?" I call out, turning to look at him. He looks beat up, terribly so, yet he still seems energized.

"Yes ma'am!" he replies in a quick yell, a little more polite than he needed to be. 

However, his manner manages to put a smile on my face. _Finally... I get to see him fight!_ "Good... let's knock this guy down!"

Easier said than done. Noelle runs to the wounded, and we turn back to Vetto. Upon our first attack, it takes me a few moves to realize that Vetto isn't like anyone I've ever met before. He's fast, strong, with his powerful body reinforced further by his ominous magic. On top of that, his reflexes are unlike anything I've ever seen before, even faster than Licht's. He dodges all our attacks easily, with a grin on his face. "Long time no see," he grunts out at me, raising his hand as a claw appears around it.

"Hmm? I don't remember meeting someone as ugly as you," I shoot back, backpedaling to miss his attack.

"Ouch!" Despite my insult, Vetto chuckles darkly, sidestepping Asta as he throws himself at him. "Your words cut deep, as usual."

I'm not exactly sure what that means, but I don't have much time to ponder it as he blasts another powerful spell at me. " _Demon Beast Magic:"_ He then utters a phrase that sends chills up my spine even though it's unintelligible. I hold up my hand once again, destroying the spell as my mark glows brighter for a moment. _So far I've been able to block most things, but we can't get a good hit on him! He's too fast... Sorry Asta, but I think I'm going to have to leave you behind._ So far I've been trying to keep in a rhythm with him, but in order to outrun this guy I'm going to need to accelerate faster than he can manage.

"My words aren't the only thing about to cut you."

With that, I spring to action, letting fire burst from my hand as I run at Vetto once more. In an instant, I'm behind him, but by the time he hits my image I've already moved to the other side. Again, and again, and again, I have to do this, my images popping up all over and following him as he runs around. His eyes widen a bit in surprise, the first crack in his composure I've seen so far. _Good! Just a little more, and I should be able to catch him off-guard,_ I think, concentrating and gritting my teeth a little. It hurts, it always hurts a bit when I use Julius's powers. The mana doesn't come naturally to me, and it wears off quickly the longer I go. Already there's blood dripping out of my nose from the pressure, my head reeling as I try to keep up with this. _Damn it, Julius... This reminds me how far ahead of everyone you really are. But even so..._

I end up behind Vetto as he looks forward, my hand tightening around the quickly-forming spear. 

_The person who stands closest to you is_ me. 

I swing down, but Vetto doesn't turn towards me like I planned. Instead, he springs forward, fists balled, and my spear misses him barely. _What?! What is he-_

He's shooting right towards Asta.

"Asta!" I yell the warning, already flying towards him. _Vetto! Don't you dare-_

Suddenly, Vetto skids to a stop, turning almost in slow motion to leer up at me with his three, horrible eyes. It's too late for me to change directions.

_Saida... it's time for you to take a little nap._

I fly right into his clenched fist, which hooks me right in the stomach below my ribcage. With a vengeful roar, Vetto sends me flying the other way, every ounce of oxygen knocked from my lungs. I taste blood even more now, my vision immediately going white. It hurts so bad, worse than it should, the moment of contact sending his horrible, unnatural magic into my very being.

_N-No-_

I don't remember hitting the ground.

Somewhere in the distance, I can hear a voice.

_Sleep well... darling!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh! Next time... Chapter 71: the swordsman. Is MC down for the count?


	71. the swordsman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I know I just updated... but here, take another chapter!
> 
> 2\. Also, the next chapter will be exciting... for different reasons :)

" _Oh, I get it! You're jealous, just like Patri!"_

_"WHAT?!"_

_How the tables have turned. For my whole life, I've been able to stay four steps ahead of everyone. I was untouchable. No one's words would ever hurt me. But now..._

_"Rhya, this is all because of you and your big mouth!"_

_"What? I tell these two everything, but no one else knows, I promise." Rhya's smirk tells me otherwise, but I'm not as good as detecting lies as he is. I cross my arms and glare at the ground as Vetto and Fana continue to giggle to themselves. "I thought you could use some advice, since you refuse to ask your mother for any."_

_"I told you why I can't! She doesn't know a good husband from a bad one!"_

_"Oh? So your dad is a bad husband?"_

_"NO! I mean..." My voice trails off and the others watch my mood visibly drop. "He's just never around."_

_"I'll say. None of us have even met him." Fana yawns as she talks. "What is he like?"_

_"This is off topic," Vetto cuts in, determined to humiliate me more. I'm always teasing him about his weird affinity for birds so this is his chance to hold something over me for once. "You always look so guilty when Licht talks about the wedding. And then because you're guilty, you won't make a move. You don't want to rain on Licht and Tetia's parade! So, now you're miserable?"_

_"... you deduced all that from what little Rhya told you?" I scoff. "I didn't know you had such a big brain in there, Vetto."_

_"Aw, Saida-"_

_"Wait, so it's true? That's why you're guilty?" Fana's eyes widen in concern. "You know, I'm sure if Licht knew, he and Tetia would fully support you! You should just ask him out already-"_

_"NO! NO, absolutely not. That's not why I'm 'guilty' anyway, if you call it that. It has nothing to do with_ him. _I just don't want to cause problems..." I sigh and bury my face in my knees, exhausted from this conversation. "And I'm not jealous! Please don't compare me to that twerp Patri."_

_"Aw, be nice-"_

_"Well, then what's the real reason?" Rhya asks before Vetto can finish. "What could you do that would rain on their parade?"_

_The wind blows softly around us, amplifying the peaceful atmosphere, even though the thoughts and emotions whirling in my head are anything but._

_"... Licht and Tetia are meant to be the first human-elf marriage. I won't do anything stupid to horn in on that. I'm patient-" I shoot a glare over at Rhya as he snorts with laughter at that last part. "I am! I can be patient in this case, at least. But... the truth is..."_

_The truth I've been hiding my whole life. The truth about the man I didn't get to meet until I was 10, the man I loved even though he was never around._

_"Go on?" Rhya and the others pick up on the seriousness in my voice, their teasing fading for just a moment._

_"... my father... is not an elf."_

* * *

When consciousness finally returns, I can barely even open my eyes. People are yelling, the sounds of the fight still going on. _Asta... everyone..._ I think, wincing as the pain starts to set in again. That punch to the stomach was enough to cripple me, badly. Even worse, my body hasn't even begun to heal. The magic he hit me with burns in my gut like my own flames, but much deeper and darker. This feeling, this magic... it's familiar, and I'm only now starting to remember.

 _When I was kidnapped... I felt this same magic in my head. Licht tried to put that eye thing in me, didn't he?_ I don't remember the details, since I was in a coma at the time, but the sensation remains the same, a dark prodding into my mind and soul. An... invasion.

_But I was protected by my Dyad magic. Julius's soul repelled it._

I'm not sure why this is all running through my mind now, since there's a lot more dire happenings right in this cavern. With much difficulty, I let my head roll to the side, blurred images flashing. Asta flies around like some flitting insect, graceful and speedy in the air. At first I'm confused about how he's doing it, but then I see Vanessa and Finral supporting him with their Thread and Spatial magic. I can sense the others all together here, too, all together in one place...

_They're fighting together, as one squad..._

There was a time where I had comrades. Even if it wasn't for long, I was a precious member of a squad. 

But now, it's painfully clear that I'm at a dead end.

_I couldn't even defeat Vetto... I let my guard down and he took me out so easily..._

_Yet these kids are fighting harder than ever, and..._

My vision starts to fade as I get dizzy with pain once more.

_Asta..._

The boy shoots towards Vetto one last time, screaming something at the top of his lungs. 

" _Despair... you've lost!"_

_At least I got to see him fight... Why do I feel like this boy is going to pull far ahead of me, one day?_

_You're not done yet, don't worry._

Darkness descends once again, and the pain starts to fade as familiar magic starts to do its work. Comforting, warm magic.

_Dead ends are just a limit, right? And what is it that Yami always tells you?_

_To surpass my limits._

_Exactly. Your road hasn't ended. I can see your future, after all._

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me!"

Right when they thought they defeated Vetto, he rises from the ground, more powerful demonic mana surrounding him in a vortex. It's painfully clear what's about to happen; with the power contained within the forbidden third eye, Vetto is going to self destruct and blow away everyone and everything in the vicinity.

"It's alright!"

Even with two broken arms, Asta is smiling and reaching for his sword. "We'll just do what we've always done! We'll surpass our limits and defeat him again!"

 _Asta! That's great and all, but this is on a completely different level!_ Finral thinks to himself in a panic.

However, before they can even get into position, a thundering _crash_ resonates behind them. They turn to see none other than Yami drop down onto the ground, dark magic already exuding around him. "What's up, bitches?"

"Yami! Where were you this whole time?!"

"I had my reasons. But that doesn't matter. Let me take care of that guy."

They part ways, letting Yami walk past them. He pauses once his back is to them. "But... you guys all did well."

The rare praise shocks them into silence, the only sound being the roar of Vetto's spell. Yami smiles just a little before looking over at something near the edge of the cavern. "And you there! Princess Forehead! Are you getting up yet or what?"

".... shut up, Yami."

Somehow, miraculously, I'm on my feet. My knees are shaking violently and I feel like I could throw up, but I'm on my feet. One hand is clutched over the horrible-looking scar on my stomach, Vetto's magic resisting the reversal spell that's enveloped me. I don't have time to let it heal the scar all the way, but we'll have all the time we need soon enough. It's fine for now. Yami needs me.

"A-Are you alright?" Noelle yells over, as shocked as the rest of them. For the whole fight I've been lying there, paralyzed, but somehow that injury is healing itself before their very eyes. The same thought was running through their heads as my magic strengthens and my mark glows brightly.

_That magic... isn't that..._

Asta, of course, can't sense my magic. But even he can tell that something strange is going on.

_Her ki... it completely changed. It's like she's become a different person. That spell around her..._

"Hurry up, before this guy blows up," Yami barks at me, a bit more demanding than he should be towards a badly-injured comrade. "I need your help."

"Fine, fine." I move as quickly as I can (which isn't very quick at all) to his side, the healing spell starting to die down at last. I flex my fingers a few times, preparing my spell. "You have a spell that can cut through that?"

"I think so," Yami replies, turning back to Vetto as I reach his side. "But I want to be sure. So help me cut him before he realizes what's happening."

"Please?"

"...please."

Despite the situation we're in, despite the pain I still feel, I stick out my tongue teasingly at him, like an old friend should. "Good boy."

Without another word, he lifts his katana, black magic swirling around it. I lift my hand as well, light blue magic engulfing my arm as I prepare my own spell. I've already pushed so far ahead, a little more couldn't hurt. 

" _Dark Magic, plus Time Magic:_

_Dimension Slash!"_

_..._

_..._

_No one but the three of us knew about your father._

_We kept our promise, just like you asked us to. You were afraid that the information would sully the importance of the wedding._

Vetto couldn't think straight, his head pounding with the forbidden magic forced into him by Licht.

But he could see my face.

_"I ran into Saida's host just now. Guess where I found her? In a village full of Simulcians."_

_"Simulcians?" Vetto and Fana were startled by this information. "...how can that be?"_

_"I don't know, but I have a theory." Rhya yawned, checking the time. When was Licht going to come back from Nean? At this point, they would have to go check on him themselves. "We never met Saida's father, but she told us his people all had a strange mark on their bodies. It allowed them to share magic among each other. He had one on his hand..."_

_"... her host had a mark on her forehead," Fana realized, her blank eyes widening. "So... Saida was half-elf, and her host is half-human?"_

_Perhaps that's true..._

The memories hurt Vetto. Was he really about to die at her hands?

_Saida... is this girl is using the power you were never able to wield?_

_She shared her magic with the Wizard King... what a coincidence._

Yami's spell hit Vetto before he even moved his blade.

_"See you later, Mr. Despair."_

With a resounding BOOM, Vetto was cut, his dimension of destruction dissected in less than an instant. His mana faded away abruptly and his body fell to the ground with a thump.

He was dead. It was over.

* * *

I don't really remember what happened next. Like everyone else, I was wounded and exhausted, and quickly faded out of consciousness once again. The next thing I know, I'm waking up in a soft bed in an unfamiliar room.

With a groan, I sit up, blinking to get used to the light. I'm in a hospital room, which both looks and smells clean, filled with lines of beds. Everyone is here, safe and in one piece, all 9 members of the Black Bulls in varying states of consciousness. I'm glad to see them safe, and it's not long before I'm noticed. "You're awake! Thank goodness."

Noelle and a few of the others quickly move around my bed, exclaiming things that I can't quite hear. I just laugh nervously and thank them. "I'm sorry I wasn't much help-"

"Are you kidding? You were amazing! When you were fighting Vetto yourself, I've never seen anyone move that quickly!" Noelle cuts me off. 

"And that spell you used with Yami at the end... I didn't hear what it was, but I've never seen anything like it!" Finral adds.

"Y-Y-You helped us p-plenty!" I frown a bit at the short, blue haired girl who's appeared at my side with the others, covering her face and stuttering. "O-oh, I'm G-Grey, by the way."

"Oh!" Was that Grey's real form? Interesting. "So, uh, how long have we been here?"

"Too long. We have to wait until Finral's magic recharges until we can go home," Gauche sneers, obviously impatient. 

"That's alright, though! We have 12 hours to eat as much seafood as we want!" Charmy adds, already chowing down on some unrecognizable dish.

"T-Twelve hours?!"

 _Uh oh..._ I sigh heavily and sink back down onto my bed. _There's no hope of getting home on time, now, is there._ The crowd around me dissipates, leaving me to stew in my own thoughts. I go to rest my hand on my stomach and wince when a shot of pain goes through the area. I lift my shirt up to reveal a terrible-looking scar where Vetto punched me earlier. _It still hasn't gone away? Even my time reversal didn't erase it?_ I would try again, but I don't have the power to heal myself at will. Instead, my body just automatically does it if the wound is bad enough. I'll just have to wait until I get home and go see Owen. But Julius is going to see it, and probably freak out. The thought isn't pleasant, dread filling me as I roll over and bury my face in my pillow. _I feel like I was a burden this whole time... maybe they were impressed, but I feel like an impostor. And now I have to go home and tell Julius that I went on a little adventure and got fucking bodied._

A few hours later, I'm feeling well enough to eat some food and get on my feet, so I go with Yami to meet up with Gifso. "Thank you for saving us from that evil man... the stone is the least we can give you," Gifso says sheepishly. "It's been so long since we had visitors, I don't feel like a very good host."

"It wasn't your fault... if anything, _we_ were the ones that lead Vetto here," I tell him, glancing at the stone that Yami now holds in his hands. "Thank you for letting us rest here."

"It's my pleasure! You saved my son and grandchildren, as well... although," Gifso's gaze darkens. "Kahano and Kiato will never be the same..."

My heart clenches at the thought of the siblings, who endured the worst injuries among the group. Kahano lost her voice, and Kiato lost his leg. "Well, anyway, when you do leave, we'll all see you off!"

"Thank you, old man," Yami simply says, waving and turning to leave. I start to follow him, but Gifso calls my name.

"Young lady... that magic you used back there," he asks, curiously. "That wasn't Simulcian magic, was it?"

His words surprise me. "Uh, actually, it was. I'm Simulcian," I tell him, turning back to face him. "How do you know about that?!"

"Oh! It was just an urban legend for a long time," Gifso tells me excitedly. "Generations ago, apparently a Simulcian came to live down here! He was an explorer, and some people still tell his stories today! I thought he wasn't real, but now that I saw you, I put the pieces together. Apparently he was the one who brought the stone to the temple."

"That's amazing! That explorer, I've heard of him. Carter, right?"

"That's right!"

The thought is exciting, finally getting to know that Carter, an ancestor, ended his long journey here. "Are there any stories about how he came to have the stone?" Maybe that would give us some clues about the rest of them.

"Hmmm... I don't think he had a story about that, strangely enough. At least not one that we tell today," Gifso taps his chin as he talks. "But... there is an ominous tale about it. They say that the stone was the last remnant of Carter's former life."

"Former life?" I repeat, wondering what that could mean. "My family told me about him... they said that he spent 50 years exploring the world, but when he came back he said that he had lost 'everything.' Everything except that stone, I guess..." 

"Perhaps... during those 50 years... he had a family."

* * *

Gifso and I don't talk for very long, but his words give me a lot to think about. For some reason, the story of Carter is troubling to me. What could have happened that caused him to lose so much?

"Hey!"

I look up from the floor to see Asta walking towards me, smiling. He's unable to wave, since both of his arms are immobilized in casts. "Hey, Asta... how are the arms?"

"They're fine, they'll heal quickly!" he assures me, walking up to me. "What about you?"

I gesture at my bandaged stomach. "It's okay for now... it still stings, though." It's also starting to feel a little numb, but I leave that part out. "What have you been up to?"

"Exploring," Asta says simply, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Actually... I have a question, if that's alright?"

"Hmm? Yeah, go ahead."

Asta takes a deep breath, obviously trying to figure out how to ask his question. "Well... you see, Yami taught me how to read Ki. It's really come in handy so far!" I raise an eyebrow at his enthusiasm. I won't lie, I don't really get Ki, but then again Yami never tried to explain it thoroughly to me. The most I know is that it's a way to read someone else's presence or something. "When we were fighting together, I was trying to read yours so I could keep up with you. I like doing that, so I can learn new techniques for myself... but at one point, your Ki changed completely. And then it happened again, when you and the Captain made the final blow. It was like you were a completely different person." He shrugs, looking a bit confused as to what that meant. "And more than that, it was the Ki of a person I already knew. It was-"

"It was Julius's, right?"

Asta blinks dumbly. "...Julius?"

"The Wizard King?"

"Oh! _That_ Julius!" Asta laughs the gaff off. "Right... but yeah, that's what I was going to say." His eyes light up in a way that's startlingly similar to how Julius's eyes do. "How did you do that?! What kind of magic was that?!"

It's kind of adorable how inquisitive he is, and I can't help but giggle to myself. "It's a lot to explain... but the Wizard King and I shared magic together. Er, well, I have a secondary attribute which allows me to amplify mana." Asta's eyes grow as large as saucers. "As part of that, I received a few of Julius's powers. It's weird, but-"

"That's... so cool!" Asta is nearly vibrating from the effort of understanding it all. _I'm glad I didn't go any more in depth..._ "The Wizard King is the strongest magic knight in the kingdom, and you have some of his powers?! That explains how you kicked ass on the battlefield... I gotta figure something like that out!" Still yelling to himself, Asta turns away and runs off out of sight, leaving me a little confused yet... proud?

He thought I kicked ass... even after he was the one to defeat Vetto first, he looks up to what I did. He thought it was amazing.

 _The other's too... maybe they all look up to me. And if that's the case..._ I ball up my fist, feeling determined.

_I won't ever be as sloppy as I was today! I'll get stronger and keep showing those kids that I'm someone they can be proud of._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time!!! Chapter 72: the question.


	72. the question

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. god I edited this chapter so much and planned it over and over... I hope it doesn't disappoint! I am especially proud of the last sentence...
> 
> 2\. the next few chapters are just going to be a bunch of one-chapter mini arcs. One will be for a light novel chapter so get excited!

Twelve hours later, Finral has recovered enough to use his magic to transport us back home. As promised, we all head down to the town square so the inhabitants of this underwater city can see us off. What started from a rumor told to me by the weird side of the family has turned into a bizarre journey to the ocean floor, a horrible, desperate fight, and now it's finally at the end. We got the stone, along with a few prisoners who are confined within Charmy's super-strong cotton. 

"Once again, thank you for everything you've done," Gifso tells us appreciatively. "Please don't hesitate to come visit again, or ask for help! We'll be here!"

Kahono and Kiato stand behind their grandfather, smiling despite their injuries. Kiato is forced to use a crutch while Kahono's throat is wrapped in bandages. _How horrible..._ I think to myself, feeling a bit angry that they were injured so badly. _The Eye of the Midnight Sun will pay for this, and soon._ We had successfully taken out one of their top fighters, and the rest would swiftly follow.

Just as Finral opens his gate, Kahono lets a weak lyric pass her lips, barely audible. Noelle turns back around to look at her friend, her expression pained. But Kahono doesn't look pained... the only emotion in her eyes is _hope._

Kiato smiles and starts to sing along. Then their father, Gio, joins in. And then, like some well-orchestrated chorus, the rest of the crowd takes up the tune, communicating more gratitude than words could have possibly done.

It's sweet and heartwarming, yet bitter at the same time. These people were almost badly hurt because we let a terrorist follow us here. 

_We'll avenge you, Kiato and Kahono. And everyone else that the Eye of the Midnight Sun has hurt._

With that thought, I turn away to follow Yami and the others through the portal.

Unfortunately, I have to tag along with the squad to their base, a place I haven't been in a pretty long time. As you already know, my last visit here didn't go so well, but everyone is too tired to start throwing a party upon arriving so I don't think there's any chance that I'm going to end up drunk. "It feels like a lifetime since we've been back here!" Magna exclaims, running inside with Luck following right behind. I hear a surprised exclamation of "Gordon?!" from the open doors as the rest of us file in. Sure enough, Gordon is sitting there in the middle of the room with a bunch of rocks around him, mumbling something to the others. "You guys seriously left him here?"

"It wasn't our fault you weren't ready on time!" Gauche snaps at the poor man.

I shake my head and go to sink down onto the couch, my joints sore and my mind fuzzy with exhaustion. Exhaustion! It's been a while. Vanessa does the same, glancing over at me. "You'll probably go back now, huh?"

"Yeah..." I smile a little at the thought of returning to my familiar home. "I didn't tell Julius I was coming with you guys, you know."

"No way..." Vanessa's eyes widened. "You don't think he'll be mad, do you?"

I shake my head. "No, he doesn't really get mad at me like that... but I'm afraid I've worried him..."

"He's not worried." We look up in surprise to see Yami standing behind us, holding a letter that just arrived. "He knows we came back, somehow, and wants me to come bring him the stone... he says to bring you back as well." He holds the letter out to show us, and sure enough he's telling the truth. "You forget how nosy he is. He knows things about people before they know it themselves."

I can't help but giggle a little at the thought, but deep down, I'm relieved.

"Yami!!! Can I come? Can I come?!" Asta begs, jumping from one foot to the other.

"No! At least, that's what I _would_ say," Yami replies gruffly. "Since you were there when he gave us the mission, you should come along after all. You, too, Charmy, bring the prisoners!"

"Yes, Captain!"

Well, this little visit is over more quickly than I thought. I'm a bit sad to leave the Black Bulls so soon, after getting to travel and fight alongside them all. In a way, I felt like they grew exponentially just over the course of the mission. I've never seen that kind of teamwork from them before, or from any other squad, for that matter. I'll definitely have plenty to tell Julius when I get back, but my stay is extended a little longer as I'm suddenly crowded in by several people.

"Tell the Wizard King how we kicked that guy's ass!" Magna tells me loudly with that big smile on his face.

"I didn't even get to see you fight that guy, so next time fight me instead!" Luck chorused right after.

"Get us some more time off while you're at it," Gauche demands.

"T-t-thank you for everything-" Grey stutters behind her hands, blushing furiously.

Vanessa even stands up and wraps an arm around my shoulders in a half-hug. "Take care of yourself," she tells me with a calm smile, more sober than I've seen her in a while. "If you ever need a drink and someone to talk to, I'm always to hear anything you have to say." She winks at me.

Even Gordon gets in on it, mumbling something and holding up a rock that has a face with a mark like mine on it. All this attention is making me surprisingly emotional. "Guys... I'm glad I got to know you all. I'll see you guys again soon, I promise," I tell them, then look down as someone wraps their arms around my middle in a tight hug. It's Noelle, and she looks up at me with practically glowing eyes. "Next time, we'll fight alongside each other, for real!"

"...I'll be looking forward to it!"

After saying goodbye, poor Finral has to rev up another portal to bring us back to the castle town. He opts to stay and hang out in the city so it's just four of us that make the climb up into the castle after dropping off the prisoners Charmy had stuck in her cotton. "Stop looking so nervous," Yami tells me, knocking me in the shoulder playfully. "I told you, he already knows everything, somehow."

"I know, I know," I whisper back, but in reality it really doesn't help. He could still be disappointed that I ran off so easily after the whole kidnapping thing.

Marx intercepts us on our way up, stopping short when he spots me. "Thank goodness you're back in one piece!" he says severely, marching over to me immediately. "Do you have any idea what I've had to go through these last few days!?"

I wince a little at his words. _Julius was that bad?_ "I'm really sorry, Marx, I-"

"Next time you go on a vacation, I'm letting Julius go with you! It's better than having to baby him without you around," Marx cuts me off, crossing his arms with a _huff._ "Anyway, why are you with these three? I thought they just came back from the Temple?"

I blink a few times in silence, confused. _Wait... so Julius_ doesn't _know? Or maybe he just didn't tell Marx..._ Maybe this was some small mercy on Julius's part. "Oh... okay. I ran into them on the way back," I told him quickly. "Is Julius around?"

"Yeah. I just finished talking to him, he's expecting the Black Bulls."

"Thanks!"

Yami and I exchange a glance as we move on, finally approaching Julius's office door. It feels like ages since I've seen him, yet I feel so... guarded.

_Please don't be mad at me please don't be mad at me-_

I'm the dumbest person in the entire world. A buffoon. Of course he's not mad at me. The door swings open and we lock eyes, and his gaze lights up with a mixture of joy and relief. There isn't a hint of anger in there, or disappointment for that matter. I instantly feel the tension leave my body as we walk inside, tension I didn't realize had built up so high.

"Oh, you're all back! Thank goodness!"

Julius walks forward to meet us, his hand already moving to touch my shoulder gently. "I heard you had an unexpected team member this time, I hope that wasn't too much," he adds, pulling me to his side.

"She was fine. She helped me out a little," Yami tells him simply, then holds up the magic stone. "Here's the thing you had us go to hell and back for."

"Ah, of course." Julius quickly takes it, holding it up to the light for a moment before tucking it in his robe. "Thank you for doing this, Yami... once again, you're proving me right. You've really grown into an amazing magic knight."

"I'm twenty-eight, stop treating me like a kid."

"And Asta!" Julius moves to smile down at the boy. "I heard you fought very well... you're one step closer to becoming the Wizard King, now."

"Y-yes Sir! Thank you, sir!"

"And you!" Julius bends down to address Charmy. "That Cotton Magic of yours is super strong, I've never seen anything like it!" With a warm smile on his face, Julius does the unthinkable and just goes ahead and PICKS UP the girl. "Yami, is this your daughter? When did she get so big?"

Both Yami and I contain a laugh at the sight. _Poor Julius! Charmy's making his paternal instinct kick in..._ "Hell no! I don't have kids, weirdo."

"Oh." Julius drops her. "Well, in any case, you all did great, and you didn't even lose a single member of your squad. I can't wait to see what the Black Bulls do next-"

He's cut off as a projection of Marx pops up behind us. "Sir! Kiten's been attacked!"

"What?" I whirl around to look at Marx's face. "The Diamond Kingdom?"

"Yes, with 3 of their Shining Generals!"

"Yikes..." The shining generals are the strongest mages in that kingdom, sort of like our magic knights. With three at them at once... "Are there any knights stationed there now?" Julius asks quickly, his brow furrowing as he gets serious for once.

"Yeah, the Purple Orcas, but they won't hold them for- oh, wait." Marx looks at something, then throws up a live image of the battle. "The Golden Dawn have just arrived on the scene!"

"The Golden Dawn?!" Asta repeats, then looks at Yami. "Captain! We need to go!"

Yami sighs and looks at Julius. "Should we?"

"Go ahead," Julius urges. "I wish I could go with you-"

"No, you need to be here, just in case it's a feint. The capitol could be next."

"...couldn't have put it better myself, Marx."

And then it's decided. The Black Bulls head off to track down Finral and go to join the battle in Kiten. Marx retreats for the time being, and Julius and i are finally left alone. At first, we just stand there, staring at each other for a moment. Then, he can't take it anymore, and Julius just smiles as he steps forward to wrap his arms securely around me. I eagerly meet the embrace, closing my eyes and relishing his familiar warmth. Then, I pull back just enough to look up at him. "How did you know-"

"I felt it, when you used the healing spell," Julius answers before the question is even asked. "Actually, I had this horrible headache the whole night, but I wasn't sure what is was until then... I figured that you were with Yami, if you were fighting." I nod along, his explanation making sense. He sighs heavily and buries his face in my shoulder. "You're going to give this old man a heart attack, though! Running off all the time~"

"I-I'm sorry," I say, struggling to support his weight. "I wasn't going to go, but then Yami asked and-"

"No, no, don't be sorry." Julius straightens up again, his hands grabbing my face and squeezing slightly. "You don't think I'd be that controlling, do you?" I shake my head slowly. "It's true, I was worried, but I know you. You're the strongest person I know, so I knew you would come back to me safely."

"...I couldn't even beat Vetto, though," I reply quietly, my gaze drifting from his. "I want to be that strong person you see, but-"

"Darling." Julius's soft voice catches my attention once again, before the self-doubt can raise its ugly head for the umpteenth time. "We've shared our souls. I know how strong you are... not just with me, but by yourself, too. This isn't a dead end, I promise."

Somehow, he always knows exactly what I'm thinking, and that's true now more and ever. Slowly, I nod, a smile spreading on my face. "...okay. I trust you, Julius."

"Good." He leans in to kiss me, his lips lingering on mine for a moment longer before he has to break away. "Now, I better go deal with this situation... you go get rested up, even if you feel like you don't need it. And then-" He grins mischievously. "Meet me on the balcony. I have something I want to discuss with you later."

"Oh?" I raise an eyebrow, curious as to what this could be about now. "What?"

"You'll see! Now, go!"

I do as he says, still insatiably curious about the whole thing. However, I have no choice but to wait. In the meantime, I take a bath, put my old clothes in the wash, and change the bandages around my middle. The scar is _still_ there, unaffected by my healing spells, which have ceased their attempts to rewind the wound. It doesn't even hurt anymore, it's just... there, which is frightening. I'm definitely going to have to see Owen, and I suddenly start feeling dread for when I have to tell Julius about it.

 _No. No dread,_ I remind myself. _You need to stop assuming that he's going to be mad at you. He's not my mother._

Hours later, the attack on Kiten is repelled and the castle starts to quiet down. I put on some clean clothes and head up to the balcony, sliding the door behind me before turning to look out over the city. The sunset is beautiful today, casting everything in perfect shades of orange and black. It's a sight I'll never get tired of, and I'll remember the first time I got to come out here. I glance down at the bench and table, remembering how Julius and I celebrated his 35th birthday in this very spot.

_That day... that's when he first told me that he wanted to have a family together... a future..._

"Ah, sorry that took so long."

I turn around just in time to see Julius close the door behind him, smiling broadly as he makes his way over to me. "God, what a beautiful evening."

"I know! The beach was great, but this is so much more... familiar." I smile and lean into him as his arms find their way around me once again, his chin resting on my shoulder like it should be. We stay like that for a while, just drinking up the bliss of each other's physical presence, before he speaks again. "Nozel and the Silver Eagles are close to finding the Eye of the Midnight Sun's base."

My eyes widen at this information. "Already? Where is it?"

"In the strong magic region, Gravito Stones," Julius continues, rocking me back and forth slightly. "They haven't pinpointed an exact spot yet, but it's only a matter of time. They have to move carefully so they aren't spotted."

"Naturally. What do we do when they find it?"

"Attack it, of course. I want those guys out of the picture," Julius replies quickly. "I have an idea for a special task force to go do it, I'm going to present the idea to Augustus tomorrow. But the main thing is..." His grip around me tightens. "The end of all this is coming."

 _The end..._ Were we really that close to defeating them? The people who kidnapped me, hurt Fuegoleon, terrorized our kingdom... Well, of course we would defeat them. Because we knew that we could do it from the very beginning.

It takes me a second to realize that Julius has let go of me to go lean on the balcony railing, his gaze moving over the city. "There's so much to look forward to... There's so much I still have to accomplish. The Eye of the Midnight Sun will just be a blip in our history, I'm sure... overshadowed by the greatness that comes after."

My heart swells a bit with pride as he speaks, a confident smile gracing his features. Julius is the strongest and greatest man in this world, I know it in my soul, and yet he chose _me_ to stand by his side all these years, for some reason. He turns to see me smiling back at him, his eyes squinted slightly from the glow of the sunset. "Come here." He holds out his hand, and I take it without a second thought. His other hand comes to clasp over it briefly before retracting again, moving under his robe. I only glance at the movement before looking back into his eyes.

"I think we both knew this was coming, eventually... but I don't want to wait any longer."

_Wait... is he-_

The gravity of his words only hit me once I see him pull out the ring.

"Please, marry me. Be my queen."

I can't breathe. I can't think. I can't speak. All I see is _him,_ all of our moments together, all those years at his side. Yes, I knew this was coming, but for some reason I never believed it. Not until now.

I don't even remember saying yes, I just know that the next moment, the ring is around my finger and I'm kissing him. It feel like hours before I can bear to separate even an inch, and I don't dare open my eyes.

_Please... don't let this be a dream._

But, of course it's not a dream. He just asked me to marry him, _Julius Novachrono_ asked me to be his wife. His _queen._

"Wait... did I even say yes?" I suddenly ask, my eye popping open.

Julius's eyes open as well, scrunching up for a moment as he thinks. "Uh... maybe?"

We both can't help but giggle, but there's tears starting to form in the corners of my eyes. "Well, just in case... yes. YES."

"Good, that's what I thought," Julius teases, his hand stroking my hair lovingly. "I promise you... you'll never regret this, ever. I'll be the perfect husband, the perfect father, everything. I love you more than I ever thought was possible."

His words don't help the tears, but he kisses them away as fast as they appear. "I know all that... I love you, too, Julius. Forever."

We kiss again, ignoring the inevitable sunset that burns before us.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Chapter 73: the healing potion (**). Something is wrong with MC. Luckily there seems to be a solution at hand.


	73. the answer (**)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. this ended up being a pretty long chapter, oops? It ended up being a bit of a self-contained arc.
> 
> 2\. Also, it's pretty spicy towards the beginning but you can skip over that part if you wish.

The ring is absolutely stunning. The band is gold, twisted in the shape of many tiny leaflets, each with a small crystal imbeded in the stem. So elegant, yet so delicate all the same... and then there's the stone: a large, perfectly cut amethyst nestled into the middle. I don't take my eyes off of it the entire walk up to our room. Julius smiles proudly to himself as he watches me admire it. He probably spared no expense when picking it out. I'm sure I would have loved anything he presented me with, but this is absolutely perfect. He has good taste, as usual. 

"So, now that we're- uh- engaged-" I can't help but giggle giddily at the thought. "What do we do?"

"Well... we'll need to announce it. Unfortunately, as Wizard King, I can't do anything discretely," he tells me as we walk. "We'll tell Augustus tomorrow, to try and get his blessing."

I wrinkle my nose at the thought. "You know, I-"

"I know, I don't want it either." Julius sighs. "But he'll be offended if we don't try. After that, we'll plan the wedding and everything. The first steps will be the wedding announcements... there's two versions, one for our friends and relatives and another for, well, everyone else."

"Yikes..." It finally occurs to me that, in becoming Julius's wife, our relationship will finally be public knowledge, for better or for worse. "That sounds like a lot of work."

"It is." Julius opens our door and gestures for me to go inside first, which I do. "But... before all of that..."

I yelp as he suddenly shoves me forward, and I trip and fall face-first onto our bed. Before I can even sit up, the familiar weight of his chest is pinning me down to the mattress, his lips suddenly whispering against the shell of my ear. 

"I'm going to fuck you like a good husband should~"

 _Uh oh, I'm in danger!_ His teeth immediately sink into my shoulder. A breathless gasp leaves my lips and I buck my hips back into his to get him even more riled up. With a choked groan, he reaches down and yanks my pants down, his hand returning to my ass to feel it up gladly. I expect him to go ahead and bury himself in me now, but he waits a couple more seconds and flips me over to face him. He licks his lips as he starts to unbutton my shirt, his fingers fumbling with his excitement. I bite my lip invitingly while rubbing myself into his crotch, already soaking wet. 

But then, his movements slow to a stop as he spreads my shirt apart, his eyes widening at the sight of my bare skin. It takes me a moment to realize that he's seen my scar. 

"What on earth?" Julius's eyes fill with worry, and he reaches down to hold my sides as he examines the scar. "Where did this come from?"

"... That's where Vetto punched me," I tell him, his reaction making me a little anxious. "It doesn't hurt, though, not anymore."

"Yeah... hold still." Julius hovers a hand, palm down, over the scar. He mutters something under his breath, and the familiar time reversal spell appears on my skin. It runs for a couple seconds before fading, but the scar hasn't changed at all. "Huh, that's worrying."

I reach out and take his hand, distracting him. "Hey. I'll go see Owen tomorrow, okay?"

That seems to calm Julius a bit, and he nods slowly before leaning down and pressing a sweet kiss to my lips. "Alright. Now..." He smirks against my lips. "Where were we?"

* * *

"MARRIED?!"

King Augustus looks like he's seen a ghost as he looks between the two of us, mouth hanging open in shock. 

"Sir, I would have thought you'd expect this, after so many years," Julius says as he laughs nervously, holding my hand tightly under the table. He knows I get uncomfortable around Augustus and wants to end this meeting as soon as possible. "But yes, we're officially getting married, and we would be honored if you gave us your blessing."

I smile along with Julius as Augustus's eyes narrow.

"... the two of you have caused me a lot of trouble, you know that? Especially you, Julius..." We exchange a glance as the King begins to talk. But then, he lets out a heavy sigh and says something that we didn't expect. "However, I don't expect an apology. It's true, I've gotten used to the presence of you two over the past six years. As long as we continue to avoid each other as much as possible, and you stay out of my way, then I don't have a problem with blessing this marriage." Augustus huffs. "Really though... a man like you marrying a commoner? Preposterous... but I have no reason to object. Just don't infect this castle with an egregious amount of your spawn."

 _Well, there's no chance of that!_ I think before smiling a little. "Sir, thank you." Julius squeezes my hand briefly, relief flooding this face. He said earlier that he didn't care if Augustus blessed us or not, but at least this encounter didn't blow up like it usually did. "Now, I wanted to present you my idea for taking on the Eye of the Midnight Sun base."

"Right, right." Augustus cleared his throat, his mind already wandering. "Nozel has a lead?"

"A big one. We'll have pinpointed the location within the next few days." Julius smiles, pleased from the thought. "My plan to invade the base is simple: assemble a temporary squad of our best magic knights to carry out the operation. I'll be holding a special exam to choose this squad."

"Hmm, interesting. I approve. What are we going to call this squad?"

"The Royal Knights."

I raise an eyebrow at the name, and it catches Augustus's attention as well. _Royal Knights... that sounds like a great honor to be on that squad._ I feel a pang of longing, or maybe its just a need to exact revenge upon the terrorists with my own hands. "Since you and I will ultimately choose the squad, it seemed appropriate to call it that," Julius explains. "I'll probably announce it at the Star Festival in a few weeks. Nozel will have returned by then."

"I see," Augustus twirls his pathetic little mustache around his pinkie finger. "Fine. I'm impressed, so I'll personally announce it at the festival."

Julius and I exchange a glance once again. It's obvious that Augustus just wants to take the credit, but we don't really have a reason to object to that. "Sure, that works."

We get the Hell out of there after the meeting, getting ready to part for our next meetings. "You're seeing Owen today, right?" Julius asks, and I confirm with a nod. "Good." His brow furrows with concern. He hasn't mentioned it since last night, but I can tell that he's scared of something to do with that scar. Well, if there's something wrong, I'll find out today. "Be careful, and come right back here when you're done. Actually, maybe take Marx with you-"

"Julius, I'll be fine." I lean up and peck him on the lips. "I'll be back soon."

He smiles and gives me one last look before turning and walking off to his next destination while I go my separate way. It's been a very busy day so far, starting with us telling Marx the big news.

_"YesS! Finally! I mean- congratulations. I was wondering why you were waiting so long to tie the knot, honestly you two waited way too long. But it doesn't matter, everyone goes at their own pace I suppose. This is going to be a lot of work on top of everything else- Honestly, I've never had to coordinate a wedding before. But I'm sure I'll be able to pull together in time-"_

He rambled on for a long time, which was cute because underlying his complaints we could plainly tell that he was _excited._ His two favorite people were finally getting married, and for once he wanted to take the helm and help them plan it.

After that, Julius and I did some work before getting started on the dreaded announcements. One set for my family and another for Julius's parents. I only met the aging couple a few times, since we're so busy and they live a little far away in a nice country home. They're both from long lines of nobles, which I expected, but they were surprisingly accepting of me when Julius introduced me as his "lovely girlfriend." It went as you could expect. " _Darling, you're such a beautiful girl, how on earth did Julius manage to find someone like you?"_ (which was a little demeaning towards Julius). _"It's about time! We were worried that Julius would be single for the rest of his life." "Although there's nothing wrong with that. How can we complain, our son is the Wizard King, after all!"_ All in all, they were a nice old couple, and they always treated me to tea and cookies when I visited.

Our announcement ended up being a simple one, since neither Julius and I cared about making it elaborate. The rest of the ceremony would be elaborate enough. I wrote a quick letter to Lyra to stuff in the envelope for her, then they were sent off to be delivered. Boom. Maybe this wedding thing wouldn't be so difficult after all.

Now, all that was left after the meeting was Augustus was my appointment with Owen. I expected it to go just as smoothly as the rest of the day... but...

Owen visibly flinches when I pull up my shirt to show him my scar. "What?!" I demand, starting to feel a little panicked at the reaction. "It doesn't even hurt, it just won't go away-"

"I don't think it _will_ go away," Owen says grimly, letting his _Qualle Operation_ spell scan the area. "This injury isn't just a normal one... you were given this scar by that terrorist, right? The one using the forbidden magic?"

That's right... by the time I got there in the Temple, Vetto had a third eye, which radiated demonic mana. Forbidden magic wasn't researched all that well, but the effects could be catastrophic in some cases...

"Asta's broken arms have this same curse put upon them. It's not something my recovery magic can dispel," Owen tells me softly. His tone right now reminds me of all those years ago, when I went to him for help and he told me I might be pregnant. He knew the news was scary, just like whatever he was about to tell me today. "His arms can't be healed... so he might never be able to hold his sword again."

_Never be able to hold his sword again._

"... when did you discover this?"

"This morning. Asta came in for a check up."

I nod slowly, letting a shaky breath out through my nose. _Asta... he had so little already... but now..._

I'm so tied up in those distressing thoughts that I accidentally tune out of what Owen is telling me now. "I'm sorry, can you repeat that?" I finally say, my voice weaker than I expected.

"Yeah. As for _your_ injury, I'm not sure what's going to happen." His magic retracts into his Grimoire as he speaks, the examination over. "Unlike Asta, the curse isn't pinpointed in any exact spot. On one hand, that could be a good thing, because it dilutes the effects. But on the other hand... it might just be acting slower." Owen's brow wrinkles as he looks at me with concern. "It doesn't hurt, you say?"

I shake my head slowly, barely able to keep up with what he's saying. All I can think about right now is Asta, who's situation seems to outweigh mine any way I look at it. "No, it's just kind of... numb."

"But not uncomfortably so?"

"No... not yet."

"Well, if anything changes, come back here immediately. I'll be researching ways to cure this thing in the meantime." Owen lets out a heavy sigh. "I hear that Asta has been a great addition to the Magic Knights. I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to him or you... so..." I jump a little in surprise as he gently claps me on the shoulder as he stands up. "Don't overlook anything, got it?"

"...alright." I manage to smile as I say goodbye, but it couldn't be farther from what I'm feeling right now.

_"What kind of magic was that?!"_

I can't get the image of Asta's sparkling eyes out of my head as I make my way home. His excitement and enthusiasm reminded me of Julius, even though the gap between them was seemingly insurmountable. And I remember what Julius told him just yesterday.

_"You're one step closer to becoming the Wizard King."_

Was all that potential just... _gone?_

It was almost cosmically unfair, so much so that I don't realize the anger building up within me. Everyone in this world was born with _some_ kind of magic, but not Asta. On top of that, he was a peasant, and now he had lost the use of his arms? Was the universe really just out to get this boy? 

By the time I get home, I really don't feel like going back to work, so I make a beeline for my room instead. I flop down face-first onto the bed, scrunching my eyes closed to ward off any tears that may threaten me. I'm alone right now, but Julius has an uncanny ability to show up the moment I start crying so I do my best to avoid doing it. In the back of my mind, my own injury is prodding menacingly, like a time bomb ready to go off. 

I almost don't get up again, afraid to face Julius and tell him about everything. But he's going to get worried if I don't present myself to him soon, and plus maybe he knows more about this ancient curse stuff than the others. So, I muster the strength to do just that, but I still drag my feet on the way.

"How did it go?"

"...not great."

Julius's smile fades as soon as he hears my tone and sees my eyes. "Oh dear... what is it?"

I manage to explain the situation to him, as clearly as possible. I don't want to hold anything back, because I keep telling myself that if anyone can help, it's Julius. But it becomes painfully clear that he's just as in the dark as the rest of us. "...an ancient curse..." he repeats once I'm finishing, frowning to himself as he rubs his chin. He keeps glancing over at me, worry flashing through his eyes. "...but you don't have any serious symptoms."

"Not yet," I reply. "But I'm not the one who has it the worst... Asta's arms might never work again."

Julius winces, frowning deeper. I know he cares for the boy as well, and admires his ambition. To see his journey end here would be painful. "I see... well..." Despite the situation, he smiles. "I have an idea."

I raise an eyebrow as he starts to walk towards his open office window. "Julius? What are you going to do?"

"What I always do: Meddle," he replies, his voice a little more cheerful as the idea starts to take form. "I probably can't do anything directly, so I'm going to track down some Black Bulls and put an idea in their head. There's a new dungeon that we discovered, it hasn't been explored yet, but they usually contain ancient medicines and such in the treasure room. They just have to explore it."

 _Ancient medicines._ Somehow, I start to feel hopeful as well. "You'll be in disguise."

"Of course!" Julius climbs out the window before turning around to look down at me. "Can you finish up that work while I'm out?"

I roll my eyes, but I can't hide my smile. "You're lucky you're the most handsome man in the kingdom!"

"Oh?" He winks teasingly before giving me a quick kiss. "Thank you... I promise we're going to find a way out of this. We'll find a cure, for you _and_ Asta." Without another word, he turns and flashes off into the evening, leaving me behind to do the rest of his work. By the time I go to bed that night, I have a lot to think about.

_That's right... we're not powerless. There's so much out there that I don't know, all I have to do is look for it!_

And so, I decide to do a little investigating of my own the next morning. I get up early to get my work finished, then head off to Kikka. The Black Market is known for dealing with sketchy magic, so there could be a gold mine of information there that we might otherwise overlook. I didn't go there very often as a magic knight, and I still don't go very much now. Usually when Julius disappears for a day and Marx sends me searching, I check the Market, but that's all the exposure I really have. However, I'm aware that there could be some unsavory characters hanging out there, so I wear regular clothes rather than my uniform. The last thing I want to do is attract attention.

"Ancient curses? Well, I have a few cursed artifacts here, you know." One stall-keeper gestures at her many wares after I ask her for information. Obviously I'm not looking for cursed objects (even though a few of them look very interesting), I'm looking for a cure. But this lady isn't just about to give me directions to a competing stall.

"Look, I really need to know. So-" I produce a stack of money, and her eyes widen. "Will this help convince you?"

She gives me a toothless grin. "Of course!"

_Thank god I'm a sugar baby!_

She points me in the direction of a shop that sells books. Some of the books are cursed themselves, but others have information _about_ curses. The shopkeeper leaves me alone while I flip through a few. Some of them are written in a different language, which will take a bit of time to translate. However, I'm willing to work hard if it means that I can help Asta out. There's a heavy pit of dread in my stomach this morning, something I try to ignore. I don't want to feel dread right now... I want to be hopeful. I want to find the answer.

After finding a couple promising books, I pay the shop keeper and head out to return home. There's a spring in my step now, and I hope to god that there's some answers in these books. But even if there's not, I'm going to keep looking. Maybe something will come from the dungeon Julius talked about. Or maybe from somewhere else. Wherever it is, I know an answer has to exist. And I'm going to help find it.

 _Maybe it's not clear how, but I can tell that Asta will have a hand in the future of this kingdom, one way or another. I'll do anything to protect that future!_ It's a little absurd, since I really barely know Asta at this point, but he looked up to me and thought I was cool. He made such an impression, and I want to see him fight again.

Thoughts of him drown out all others, and I don't even notice that the pit of dread in my gut is becoming more and more heavy.

After everything that's happened, maybe it wasn't the best idea to turn down an alley as a shortcut. There didn't seem to be much harm, since I could see the main street from where i am. Plus, I'm much more aware of my surroundings, so no one's going to be able to sneak up on me. I don't expect the attack to come from the inside. My one problem today was that I forgot to pay attention to myself. So, when all feeling in my gut disappears, it catches me completely unaware.

_... what in the-_

I expect to throw up or something, but instead I just lose balance. With a surprised cry, I collapse into a pile on the street.

 _What? What's this?_ My head is spinning a little, and I only scraped a knee in the fall, but when I try to sit up, I can't.

I can't bend my body. It's like I'm one of those toys where you push the button and they loosen into a pile of disjointed parts. With a strain, I push my feet underneath me. I can still feel my legs, but as soon as I try to stand up, they won't support any weight. Swallowing my panic, I touch my stomach over my scar gingerly. It's like someone rubbed deadening cream all over it, I don't feel my fingers at all. 

_Owen said that the curse could be diluted... or maybe it just delayed the effects. Either way, it's hitting me right now!_ I try to remain calm, but my hands are still shaking. _Take it easy..._ I wiggle my toes. _I can still feel my legs. With the correct balance, I should be able to get up again and walk to the hospital. It's not far away._ I grit my teeth and prop myself up with my hands, trying to drag myself up onto my knees.

_There... just a little more..._

I grab onto the wall, my fingers digging in between two bricks. Somehow, I manage to pull myself up, enough that I can get one of my feet flat on the ground.

_That's it! Now-_

I push once, and my entire world spins. My stomach turns at the stress placed upon it. The area is asleep, fast asleep, almost so numb that it hurts. _Stay standing... that's all you have to do-_

But my body refuses. My hips give out once again, and the last thing I remember is falling backwards into nothing.

* * *

Voices cut through the darkness, but I can't hear them. The next thing I feel is a pounding headache, and I suck in a breath at the pain. _Ouch... what happened? Did I hit my head or something?_ Someone's hand is holding mine gently, and I slowly squeeze it back as I start to wake.

"Darling? Are you awake?"

I crack open an eye, feeling a bit confused when I realize I'm in a bed, and none other than Julius is hovering over me. "Julius? What happened?" I try and sit up but wince as I'm once again unable to. Julius quickly grabs my shoulder to keep me on my back. "Don't try to move yet. Thank goodness you woke up-"

His words don't calm me down, and for the first time I actually start to panic. "J-Julius, I can't sit up-"

"I know, it's okay." Julius's voice fails to calm me down like it usually does. "It's the curse, I'm afraid... Owen told me everything."

"...so..." I blink slowly, trying to add everything up. "What's going to happen?"

"...I don't know." 

Owen comes in soon after to explain what happened. "Someone found you passed out in the alleyway, apparently you hit your head when you fell. The curse hasn't spread at all, but it finally progressed enough to numb part of your torso." Owen tries to keep his voice comforting as he talks. "It'll be difficult... but this might be something you can get used to. Because of the deadened area, your balance is completely off, so you'll have to re-learn it."

My stomach isn't the only numb part of me as I listen.

 _I have to learn how to walk again? I have to learn how to balance without my hips?!_ It's absurd, and I think both Owen and Julius know that.

_Fuck... if only I was able to stop Vetto back then-_

I only try to get up once later that evening, with Julius's help, but I immediately start to fall again. This time, he's there to catch me, but it just makes me bitter. Am I so weak now that I can't even manage to do this? I don't resist as Julius helps me lay down again, never leaving my side. "Hey, look at me."

"..." I manage to turn my head to look up at him, my heart clenching a little when I see his expression. He's smiling for my sake, but his eyes betray the fear that he's feeling. This is something no one has encountered before, something he _doesn't know how to fix._

"It's going to be alright. I'm never going to leave you. We'll get through this together, alright?"

"..." I nod slowly, and his image warps as tears fill my eyes. "Oh dear..." I bury my face in his shoulder as I let it all out, forgetting the hope I felt just this morning.

The night is the longest of my life. I can't sleep, I can't even change positions in the bed. I push desperately at the mattress as I try to reposition, but it's no use. Feeling ashamed, I shake Julius awake with a weary hand. "...can you turn me on my side?"

"Yes, of course!" Julius blinks awake and gently moves me. When he's done, he pulls the covers back up and wraps his arms around me. It's a small comfort, but he's warm. "Wake me up if you need me to do it again... or for anything else, alright?"

"I will." I feel him kiss my cheek softly, his lips lingering on my skin before he lays his head back down on the pillow. It's a tiny bed, much smaller than ours back home, but he insisted that he stay the night. Eventually, I let my eyes close and I doze off for the first time.

I stay asleep for a long time, but my eyes pop back open as someone kicks the side of the bed. "Ah! What the-"

"Wake up, sleepyhead."

It's the one-and-only Yami Sukehiro, staring down at me with an amused expression on his face and a cigarette stuck between his teeth. "Y-Yami? What are you doing here?" I ask, barely awake. I almost try and sit up again, but I remember the curse and don't attempt it. My hips are like a two-ton weight keeping my body still on the mattress.

"I came to visit you, obviously. You look pretty pathetic."

His words sting. "Hey... Yami, I've been proper traumatized over here," I object, ignoring the tears I'm starting to leak.

Yami immediately back tracks. "Oh, fuck, don't cry. I only said that because, well..." He sighs and steps to the side. "See for yourself."

I've never really thought about what the physical manifestation of _hope_ would be. But now I do, as my eyes widen at the sight of the person standing behind Yami.

"...Asta?!" My eyes wander down to his arms, which are out of their casts and waving at me. "Y-Your arms!!"

"I know! They got healed!" Asta tells me excitedly, running up to the side of my bed now that Yami's out of his way. "I had no idea this happened to you, too... but!" He brightens up again excitedly. "Vanessa lead us to the Witch's' forest, and we met the Witch Queen! Well, a whole bunch of other things happened too, because the Eye of the Midnight Sun _and_ the Diamond Kingdom showed, up, but the Queen healed my arms so I can fight! She has awesome blood magic that can dispel curses!"

"Wait, wait, hold on!" I hold up a hand to stop him, mind reeling. "... the _witches?!_ And the _Eye of the Midnight Sun!?_ AND the _Diamond Kingdom!?"_

 _"_ Shut up and listen, that's not the important part," Yami snaps, but he has a smile on his face.

"The Witch Queen was grateful, so she gave us a bunch of healing potions, including this one!" Asta produces a bottle of blood-red liquid from his pocket. "If you want, we can heal you right now!"

 _... heal me?_ I stare at the potion in silence for a good minute, before the meaning hits me. "Ah! Yes, yes, please!" My voice is almost desperate when I agree, I just want this horrible feeling to end. I never thought it would be over this quickly, but here it was, the answer was right in front of me.

"Calm down. Asta, go ahead," Yami tells him, giving me a comforting smile.

"Yes, of course!" Asta quickly holds the bottle over me and takes out the cork. The red stuff "pours"out, instantly encasing my entire torso in its aura. I wince a bit as I feel the sensation come back to my gut, nausea and everything in between along with it. But those feelings are overshadowed by the glee of being able to feel _anything._ Finally, the spell fades, and I start to prop myself up. I'm a little shaky at first, but with ease, I manage to sit up for the first time in what feels like years.

Yami and Asta watch as I twist around, stretch my legs, and do a few sit ups. It's as if nothing ever happened, and my relief starts to show on my face. "That's amazing... I'm cured..."

I swing my legs over the side of the bed and stand up a little too quickly, but my balance quickly returns. It takes everything I have in me not to scream and jump for joy as I turn to grin over at the two of them. "You guys... Asta!" Without any warning, I find myself hugging the boy tightly. He's a little taken aback, but quickly smiles and hugs back. "I don't know how to thank you. I was so scared I wouldn't be able to walk again..."

"I would hate for that to happen," Asta tells me when I straighten up again, beaming proudly to himself. "I'm glad I was able to help! But I couldn't have done it without Vanessa, Finral, Noelle, and the others."

"Of course, we didn't know that you were sick too until this morning," Yami adds. "Julius sent me a letter earlier practically begging for any information. Somehow he knew that the whole squad was trying to help Asta out. But as soon as they heard, they wanted to share the potion with you." Yami shakes his head. "You managed to get even the Kingdom's worst knights to be attached to you."

The thought is making me tear up again. "Wow... well... I owe you guys a huge debt," I tell them gratefully. "I'll think of a way to pay you back, I promise!"

"You better!"

The two of them leave, and I'm quickly flocked by Owen and a couple nurses. "Amazing... that healing potion really reversed all of the damage," Owen tells me with wide eyes as his magic scans me once again. "I've never seen anything like it!" He lets out a sigh of relief. "Good grief... who knew the answer was lurking in the witches' forest?"

"I know!" I smile brightly, still doing stretches and savoring the movements. "Asta said that-" I pause as I feel something coming. "Uh oh."

A moment later, Julius teleports right behind me, the wind catching up to him a second later. His eyes blow wide open at the sight of me standing up once again. "...it's true!" I struggle to stand up as he throws himself on me once again. "Thank god... I'm glad this didn't drag on..." He smiles in relief and gives me a kiss on the cheek. Owen raises his eyebrows and some of the nurses giggle at the sight. "The Black Bulls are really something... they're getting at least 20 stars today, that's for sure!"

"I know! Asta and the others really impressed me, and so soon after their last mission! But-" I frown a little with worry. "He mentioned something about the Eye of the Midnight Sun and the Diamond Kingdom?"

"I've been dealing with that all morning," Julius tells me. "Everything is fine, they managed to take out another member of the Third Eye, and they defended against the Diamond army perfectly. And also..." He pulls something out of his pocket, and I gasp when I realize what it is. "Yami dropped this magic stone off just now when he told me you were cured." Julius chuckles before pocketing it again. "All in all... I don't know how this day could get any better."

"I do," I tell him, before looking over at Owen. "Can I go home?"

"Er, sure, I don't see why not. I should probably give you a check up in a few days-"

"Awesome!" I've already jumped up into Julius's arms as we giggle to each other. "See you later, Owen!"

We shoot away faster than he can see. After getting over his shock, Owen chuckles and shakes his head.

"Those crazy kids..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, seems like we dodged a bullet! Next time, Chapter 74: the captain's dinner party. Julius has a scheme up his sleeve, and MC continues to prepare for both the wedding and the star festival with some help from friends.


	74. the captains dinner party (**)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Julius has no shame. Poor MC lol
> 
> 2\. Also uhh whoops this chapter ended up being kind of smutty? I guess it's just one of those weeks lol.
> 
> 3\. This chapter is based on part of one of the BC light novels by the same name. You can find all the novel translations on the tumblr @blackcloverdatabase

"... Julius, Marx is going to eviscerate you."

"I know, I know!" Julius giggles to himself while he digs through a pile of magical artifacts, spoils of a recent mission to a dungeon. "But in the end it'll be worth it, don't you agree?"

Julius comes up with several hair-brained schemes in a day, but this one he just proposed is BEYOND me. A few weeks have passed since the Black Bulls' trip to the Witches Forest, and plenty has happened. The Star Festival is coming up fast, so Julius and I took the time to total up all the stars earlier today. To both of our surprises, the Black Bulls were in _second_ place, a huge leap from last place before. They were just ahead of the Silver Eagles and just behind the Golden Dawn. We kept this information secret, of course, knowing the uproar it was likely to cause. Julius explained that we can't afford any discord between the captains, even though they were already extremely volatile towards each other. Nozel had discovered the location of the terrorists' base as well, so we needed to work together if we were to defeat them. Today was going to be a test run of that.

The first stage of the plan was going to be fairly simple: Julius invites all the Captains to a dinner party instead of their scheduled meeting, so they could bond over food and everything. BUT, here's the catch...

"These stone golems have a magical hidden space within them," Julius told me after he sent Marx away to plan the dinner party. Marx was already in a bad mood, but I had a feeling it was going to get considerably worse. "I'm going to disappear for a while as I 'test these out.' The truth is, I already tested them out. Once I get to a safe spot, I'm going to activate all the golems and hide inside one of them. Then, I'll call Marx and tell him that I'm trapped. All the captains will have to save me, and they'll get closer while doing so!"

He keeps assuring me that everything is going to be fine, but I'm still doubtful. "Just please, _please_ don't tell Marx! I'm begging you!"

"Fine! We'll do it. But this is absurd, even for you," I finally give in. Julius already has all of the golem heads packed and ready to go. "Where will you be?"

"Probably in that dungeon we found the terrorists in a few months ago." I shiver a little at the memory. "I can seal it off so the golems don't escape and wreck havoc. Don't worry, I'll be completely safe. It shouldn't be a hard fight, but try not to step in too much. I want the Captains to work together. Actually!" Uh oh. His eyes are twinkling menacingly. "Why don't you come with me? You'll make a much better damsel in distress!"

"What?!" 

"Come on, it'll be fun!"

Well, hanging out with Julius _does_ sound a lot more fun than attending a dinner party from Hell, so I make the mistake of agreeing. About ten minutes before the dinner party was due to start, the two of us fly off towards the dungeon. Marx freezes when he walks into Julius's empty office to see a note on the desk. _...that old bastard! I'm going to bash his head in once he gets back..._

Twenty minutes later, and things are going just about as well as you could imagine. Marx had checked everywhere; the office, the bathroom, the kitchen, all of it. His only comfort was that all the golem heads were gone, too, so maybe Julius actually _was_ doing what he said he was doing. But that wasn't the problem, the problem was the seven captains gathered in the conference room, already arguing and causing a scene. Charlotte attacked Rill with her briers, Jack and Yami were cat fighting, Nozel made it very clear that he didn't want to be here, and William of all people suggested that they bring the newbies Asta and Yuno here to fight for their entertainment. The only people behaving were Dorothy, who was asleep, and Mereoleona, who had to miss the meeting! 

"Didn't Julius organize this? Where is he, anyway?" Yami grumbled, picking at his food. 

"The Wizard King is... busy." Marx had no idea what he was supposed to do right now, he was barely holding this gathering together. Julius was, in general, better at wrangling these difficult people than he was.

"Ka ka, maybe we _should_ invite Yuno and Asta... whoever wins can fight _me."_

William nodded. "I second that."

 _William!!! You're supposed to be the reasonable one here!_ Marx thought frantically. Another argument was brewing, he could feel it.

"This is pointless. If you wanted us to bond, you should have sent us on joint missions," Nozel sneered, drinking some water as he watched the debacle. "This kind of thing just leads to conflict. What did you expect, putting nobles and rabble in a room together?"

"Ouch," Yami replied monotonously. 

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have suggested the fight. I'm sure it would just make things more difficult for you, Marx," William apologized.

Marx felt a bit of relief. _At least things are calming down-_

"Oh, Marx, I finally got through to you!"

_... uh oh._

"Lord Julius!!! Where on earth have you been?!" Marx was on the verge of tears by now. He could see both Julius and me through the screen, but he couldn't identify where we were.

"Well, we went to test out the golems-"

"AND?! I know that!"

"Um... you see..." Julius laughed nervously. "I ended up reconstructing a couple golems and bringing them to life. However, they were a lot stronger than anticipated. You know how they have magical spaces in their skulls? Well, we got trapped inside one of the golem skulls... and we can't get out. We're stuck."

"...stuck?"

"Yeah." Julius shrugged, looking sheepish. "Could you guys possibly come and... rescue us?"

It wasn't like they had much of a choice. Julius told them where we were before ending the transmission. "Ah, there we go!" he rubbed his hands together mischievously before turning to look at me. I've been busy examining the magical space we're in. It's pretty boring, just a grey, cube-like room. "Are you sure we're not in any danger?" I ask. "I mean, what if one of them destroys the golem we're in?"

"Then we'll pop right out. But they don't know that." Julius smiles and leans against the side of the room with his arms crossed. "Now... all we have to do is wait."

And... we wait. I keep looking around curiously, just to entertain myself. Julius gets bored immediately, his eyes following me as I walk around. Then, he suddenly walks towards me and grabs my shoulder. "Hmm? What's wrong?" I look up at him, automatically getting the sense that he has yet _another_ idea up his sleeve.

"Darling... you love me, right?"

"What? Of course." I frown up at him, starting to get suspicious. He has those big, pouty eyes right now. "What's the matter?"

"And you would do anything for me, right?"

"...Julius, what are you-"

"Get on your knees."

"What?! NO!"

"Come on, we have time!"

" _We have time!?_ Julius, you just told literally all the captains to come here-"

"It'll be quick this time, I promise."

"Julius-" He's already smothering my face in kisses as he tries to sweet-talk me into doing what he wants. I can't deny it, that sounds kind of fun right now, but also a little more risky than even _he_ usually suggests. Still... 

"Baby, we might never have this chance again. It's a golem _head,_ for crying out loud." I can't help but giggle along with him at the pun, which really wasn't that good but funny nonetheless. "See? I know you want to-"

"I do, I do, but can't we wait until we're home? They could be here any minute."

" _Julius! Just so you know, this is unacceptable. You're the Wizard King, for goodness sakes! Try to keep that in mind next time you run off and get yourself into trouble."_

Marx's voice cuts through the communication spell and into our room. Julius sighs and replies. "Yes, yes, I know... I know..."

" _We'll be there in ten minutes. Don't go anywhere."_

"Oh! Splendid." With a wave of his hand, Julius dismisses the spell and turns back to look at me expectantly. "...ten minutes?"

"... fine."

He pushes his various layers to the side, and... well, you know what happened. He stays silent for the most part, just watching me with lidded eyes with both of his hands on the back of my head. However, he doesn't keep his promise to be quick and it's not long before he lets out a groan. "Shit... Marx is here. The communication spell-"

I expect him to release me, but he doesn't. He just tugs me a few inches off for a moment while he pulls out a communication device from no where. "Marx? Sorry, the spell isn't working."

_"Wonderful. Well, we're here! The golems are just through this door?"_

"Yes!" Julius continues to explain the situation, ignoring my glare from below. This isn't a very dignified position, and plus my knees are starting to hurt. Eventually he pretends to be "cut off" and snaps the device closed before hiding it away again. "There, they should be busy for a good couple minutes. More than enough time~"

I'm about to remind him that he already went over his ten minutes, but I don't get the chance before my mouth is occupied again. Julius hurries up this time, a lot faster than before as he thrusts shallowly. We can't hear much of the fight outside, which I'm grateful for, but he's determined to finish before we leave this space. "Come on... like that..." he grunts softly. "Open wider- let me get in-"

I hold onto his hips and choke out a whimper, doing my best to keep from gagging. Julius's movements quicken again and I know the end is near. "That's it, good g-" 

His words trail off as he finally finishes, familiar warmth spilling down my throat. After a few last sloppy thrusts, he finally releases me and I sit back, a coughing mess. I gasp a few breaths before leaning against the wall to catch my awareness again. Despite the fact that we are, indeed, inside the head of a Golem and could get kicked out at any second...

 _That was so hot..._ I shake my head at myself. Despite my resistance, Julius has managed to turn me into someone who loves the risk just as much as he does. 

His lips hit mine a moment later, a deep kiss that steals the breath I just managed to catch. "Thank you... god, I love you. I'm sorry, I'll make this up to you later."

I nod along with his words, still dazed. "Yeah..." I manage to grin back at him. "You know... I kind of like it when you catch me off guard like that..."

"Oh, you do?" Julius's sly grin makes its way back onto his face. "Would you like me to do it again?"

"Maybe." I bat my eyelashes playfully. "Jump me when I'm least expecting it?"

"I can do that." Julius starts to lean in for another kiss but gets distracted as mana suddenly fills our chamber. "Oh, we're freed," he says, sounds of a battle suddenly echoing around us. "Ready to go?"

Barely, but I don't really have a choice. I wipe off my mouth and grab Julius's hand, and the two of us push off towards freedom once again. 

As soon as we pop out into the room, the scene seems pretty dire. Most of the Golems are still attacking the captains, and it seems like one is about to hit Yami with an attack. Luckily, Julius decides to make our presence known as he casts his spell. "Time Binding Magic, _Chrono Stasis!"_ Instantly, all of the golems stop moving, and the captains freeze as soon as they see us. "Hey guys! Looks like I got here just in time."

"...what?! How!" Rill's eyes were as large as saucers as he stared at us. "How did you get out? We were still fighting!"

"It was me." Everyone turned to look at Marx, who was standing behind the two of us with a golem skull it his hands. "I noticed that all the golems were synced up, so I gambled on the possibility that they all shared the same space. Julius told me earlier about how to pop out the contents of the space, so... I did."

"Very good, Marx! You all did well!" Julius laughs nervously, knowing full well that the whole reason they were dragged out here was because of him. I stand there silently, still kind of daed, and nearly jump when Yami suddenly yells my name. "You okay? You look like you're about to pass out."

"Huh?! No, no, I'm fine! Completely fine. It was just weird... yeah."

After cleaning up the rest of the Golems, we finally exit the dungeon to see the sun setting outside. Marx scolds Julius the entire way up, wagging his finger and everything. "And YOU! Back me up here!" He points at me before turning back to Julius. "Getting yourself into trouble is one thing, but dragging her into it was another! Things at the party might have gone better if she were there to help me, and not to mention that fight-" He notices that I am still silent. "Aren't you the least bit annoyed?!"

"...not really. It was kind of fun, actually." I exchange a glance with Julius.

"Well, if everything is settled, I'll be going now." Nozel simply waves his hand before walking off, much to Julius's dismay.

"What! What about the dinner party?"

 _He still wants to have the party?!_ I think, cringing a little this time.

"We've been gone for a long time, we can't possibly eat what we left behind. This whole affair took long enough. Anyway, the way I understand it, you achieved your objective?"

It was true. Julius's whole motive was to get the Captains closer to each other and for them to work together towards a goal, just like they would have to do soon in the future. "We've been comrades for years. You didn't need to throw a dinner party to understand that, though."

Even though they were all volatile, strange, and sometimes incompatible people, the Captains were still capable of working together. As we start the journey back and the seven of them walk together, I can't help but feel a little jealous. Maybe, for a short time, I got to dip my feet back into that world and act as a Captain, but it's more evident than ever that I've left that path behind. The life I've built for myself is sweet, but sometimes I wish I could have had it both ways. 

"Oh... I forgot to mention something important!"

As soon as we make it back, Julius stops everyone in their tracks when he raises his voice once more. Everyone is thinking the same thing, hoping to God that it's not _another_ party or something. However, Julius dispels the worry immediately. 

"One of the reasons I wanted you all here today is... well, the two of us have finally decided to get married."

There's a smattering of gasps through the group, although we know that none of them are truly shocked. "It's about time!" Yami chuckles, smiling genuinely. "I never expected you to finally settle down, Julius."

"Ka ka, they've been _settled down_ for nearly 8 years now, though," Jack reminds him snidely.

"Do both of you have to be so crude? Congratulations," Charlotte smiles over at us after scolding the pair.

The support from all of them warms my heart, and I give them a big smile as I lean into Julius's arm around my shoulder. "Thank you, everyone... you're all invited to the wedding! We haven't decided the date yet, but keep an eye out!"

One by one, the captains make their exits, until Julius and I are alone with Marx. Well, almost alone.

"Congratulations, you two... I remember when all of this began. I'm very glad that it worked out so perfectly in the end."

William alone hangs back to talk to us. It occurs to me that the two of us have barely been around one another in months, and I've only seen him once since I returned from my capture. His emotions and reactions to everything are quite muted, and he almost seems like something has been bothering him. "Thank you, William..." He smiles again as I take his hand. "You're one of my oldest friends, so I'm glad you've been by my side this whole time."

"Ah! Marx-"

"Come on, you're helping me clean up all the mess your captains made!"

William and I turn to see Julius being dragged away by Marx, and with one slam of a door we're left completely alone.

"... would you like to catch up for a while?"

"Of course."

The two of us walk off down the hall, lined with tall windows that give a perfect view of the sunset. William's eyes stay fixed on that horizon for a while, before slowly gliding back to me. _Gliding._ Everything this man does is calculated and graceful. Even back in our younger days, from the day I first met him, he was graceful. We're the same age, and we took the exam together. We've fought side by side, and I've watched from afar as he climbed his way to the top of the magic knights. I remember now... William could very well be Julius's successor, when Julius either passes away or becomes too old to rule.

"I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately," William finally speaks. "I've missed you a lot, I assure you."

"It's okay! It can't be easy running the Kingdom's best squad," I assure him. "I've missed you too, William."

He lets out a light chuckle. "I'm honored... but I still feel like I've neglected you." 

I can't help but laugh a little. "William, don't worry, I don't feel neglected at all, I-"

"I'm sorry."

William cuts me off suddenly, and I stop in my tracks to look over at him. His eyes are averted to the ground, half of his face illuminated by the setting sun while the other is cloaked in shadow.

"...I'm sorry about how you got kidnapped. I feel like I should have... I should have been able to stop it-"

"William." He stops talking as I take his hand again, trying to comfort him. _Right... he was one of the last people to see me that night. He probably feels very guilty about the whole thing._ "I don't blame you at all, no one does. It was Gueldre's fault, and no one else's. And besides, I got to fight the Midnight Sun's leader, and I got stronger because of that fight." Some emotion I can't identify flickers through William's eyes at the mention of Licht. "I should have been able to prevent it myself, but I was careless. It happened because of my own weakness, not yours."

William stares at me for a moment, almost inquisitively. "...you're not weak... not in the slightest."

"I'm not so sure about that any more." I close my eyes, doubt welling up within me. I couldn't beat Licht, and then I couldn't beat Vetto. "Sometimes... I feel like I chose the wrong path. I wish I could have become captain alongside you, Yami, and the others." William's eyes widen a little behind his mask at the admission. "I'm happy with this life I have now... but I feel like I've reached a dead end."

William doesn't reply for a long time, and my ears start to heat up with embarrassment. I _definitely_ just overshared. "... sorry, I-" I open my eyes again, but stop short when I see William's face.

"... I should have shown you this a long time ago."

He took off his mask, revealing the face he's hid for years. He has very pale blonde hair, and his features are fair and light. But the whole top half of his head is covered with a grey, mottled mark, almost like a burn scar. It's shocking to see, but I've definitely considered the possibility of a scar when I thought about his mask before. But I never asked him about it, and Julius never told me, either. He was waiting for William to be ready to tell me on his own.

"...were you born with it?"

"Yes." William's hands are shaking a little as he clutches his mask and my eyes drift over his face, then back to his eyes. "When I was a child... they said I was cursed. It caused me a lot of pain, back then."

 _Pain..._ My heart clenches a little on his behalf, because I can at least relate to part of that. "... does Yami know?"

"Yes, I showed him. He asked me about it, and I had no reason to hide the truth." William and I smile a little at the image of Yami demanding this poor guy to take off his mask. "And Master Julius... he's the one that made me this mask." He smiles fondly at the memory before looking back into my eyes.

"You see... back then, I was at my own 'dead end.' I didn't think my life would ever amount to anything. But when I least expected it, Julius appeared. If he had been any less kind, I would still be back in that life, but because of him, I was able to move forward."

The story is familiar. 

_Julius... he's kind and gentle, strong and sure... I love him with every fiber of my being. Because of him, I'm still able to move forward. So, as long as he's by my side, everything will be okay, right?_

I'm pulled from my thoughts as William takes my hand again, his gaze moving back out to the setting sun.

"I think... there's another Golden Dawn waiting for both of us."

Something in the back of my mind twitches at his words, something about his voice doesn't match up with the look in his eyes. Without the mask, I can see it even clearer now.

_Sadness._

_Dread._

_Guilt._

_William... is everything alright?_

I don't get the chance to ask before he puts his mask back on, cloaking his features once more. He leaves me there in the hall, with the promise of a Golden Dawn in our future... whatever that means.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time!!! The Star Festival part 3; MC meets up with some friends and family on the day of the long-awaited Star Festival.
> 
> Fun fact: If MC hadn't been expelled from the Magic Knights a long time ago, Julius probably would have eventually made her the Captain of the Grey Deer. Rill would be Vice Captain in that timeline, but alas... it wasn't meant to be lol


	75. the star festival pt. 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. once again I would like to say thank you for reading this far!!! I honestly have so much fun writing this, but mostly because I like getting reactions out of my readers. Thank you to the people who regularly leave comments, they always make my day and I will never get tired of it!!!
> 
> 2\. Also, fair warning: for the next update I will include 2 chapters (one is an explicit chapter). The explicit chapter is pretty smutty but you can skip it if you wish lol. I was just feeling some type of way when I wrote it don't judge me.

" _... Licht! Shouldn't you be getting ready for the wedding?!"_

_"Ah, I'm practically ready now! But I have something I wanted to discuss with you."_

_With me? Licht, our graceful, wonderful leader with a beautiful human fiancee, wanted to talk to_ me? _I can't think of a reason why this would be, but Licht's eyes suddenly darken._

_"Saida... it's something Rhya told me yesterday."_

_My eyes widen at his words. Rhya told him!? Oh god oh fuck, this is something about my dad, right? Rhya, that skunk bastard, promised he wouldn't say anything, but now Licht knows! I'm going to burn that elf to a crisp, now everything is ruined-_

_"I'm talking about your very obvious crush on Lumiere."_

_..._

_..._

_...huh?_

_..._

_"WHAT?!"_

_A new, different type of panic hits me like a typhoon and I go rocketing up from where I was sitting. I know I'm as red as a tomato right now, and my words don't help my case. "Lumiere?! The human prince?! N-n-no no no, I don't have a crush on him! Why on earth would I be possessed to do that?! Rhya's a liar, you know that, h-he's totally wrong! I do NOT have a crush on him!! I don't! I don't! I-"_

_Licht is laughing at me now, a satisfied look on his face. "Saida, you don't have to hide it, I knew before Rhya even told me."_

_I finally shut up and stare at him, my hands twitching and shame filling me. "...oh..." I gulp, feeling extremely embarrassed for the outburst. "I-I'm sorry-"_

_"For what?" Licht smiles comfortingly. "There's nothing wrong with being true to your feelings."_

_"... I know." My heart finally starts to calm down and I plop back down into the grass, drawing my knees up. At least Licht is someone that I can viably ask for advice. He seems to know everything, so maybe this isn't so bad. "I want to tell him... but I didn't want to rain on the parade. You and Tetia are special, and I was afraid that if things... worked out, you would resent me."_

_"Saida, everyone is special. You're not an exception." I raise my gaze back to him, a little shocked at his words. "And I would never resent you if you chose that path."_

_Slowly but surely, I manage to smile. "Thanks Licht... that means a lot."_

_A breeze ripples through the field, picking up leaves as it goes. The weather is beautiful this afternoon, the summer sun cooled by the wind. "... was I really that obvious?"_

_Licht chuckle. "Yes. Even Patri noticed."_

_"Patri? The densest elf there ever was?"_

_"Aw, be nice, Saida. But yeah... you always run off all flustered when Lumiere comes to visit, and he has to go seek you out himself. But..." Licht shrugs innocently. "He_ does _always go try to find you."_

_I blink, the meaning sinking in. "Are you saying-"_

_"I don't know how Lumiere feels about you," Licht cuts me off a glint in his eyes. "But you need to make your feelings known to him. I'm sure he would appreciate the honesty."_

_I cringe a little at the idea, panicking at the mere thought of confessing anything. "...I don't know..." I admit. "I feel like it's such a long shot."_

_"You'll never know if you don't try to find out."_

_Licht is right, of course._ _But why would someone as wonderful as_ him _ever love me?_

* * *

The coffee is hitting different this morning, and I reach for the pot only 2 minutes after pouring my first cup. I woke up feeling extra groggy this morning, which probably doesn't bode well for the rest of this very, very busy day. It's the day of the Star Festival, after all, one of the happiest days of the year. Not only that, hopefully tonight would get everyone pumped for the fight to come, as Julius is preparing to announce the Royal Knights. He still hasn't told me what the exam is yet, even after I've badgered him over and over. I'm sure he's just getting final preparations ready, as am I. I read through the agenda I drafted last night as I eat breakfast in our room.

"Leave some for me!" Julius appears behind where I'm sitting and swipes my coffee away before I can do anything. "You must be extra thirsty today~"

"Extra tired, actually. You're depriving me of energy." I turn to glare up at him, noticing that the lower half of his face is covered with shaving cream. "You came out here in the middle of shaving just to pester me?"

"Yep." He drinks a generous gulp from the cup before handing it back to me. "I have to look good today, the masses don't want to see the Wizard King with a five-o-clock shadow, do they?"

"Hmm, _I_ kind of do." I wiggle my eyebrows at him before he retreats to the bathroom once again. Julius is very strict about shaving his face, because he doesn't want to end up like one of those old wizards with a long, tangled beard. But he's been neglecting his chest lately ("it takes too much time"), which I don't necessarily dislike... it makes him look a bit more rugged, and adds to his already-high sex appeal.

I'm torn from my horny thoughts as my stomach suddenly growls loudly, and I freeze half-sip. _... did that just happen?_ Come to think of it, when I woke up this morning, my stomach was feeling pretty upset, something that worried me. But that pain...

Was it hunger?

It's been literally years since I've felt hunger. According to my grandparents, the Dyad spell was supposed to have erased my need for food entirely, which it did, until maybe today? I don't really remember the sensation, but that seems to be the most likely explanation. Gingerly, I set down my coffee and pick up one of the bagels on the table instead, biting into it. Bagels are not my favorite food to eat. They're full of rich carbs and upset my stomach, but today...

My eyes widen. It's good. It's really good. 

Before I know it, I eat the whole bagel and tear the other in half to keep eating. Almost instantly, the pain starts to fade, my hunger satisfied for the time being. I have to stop myself from eating more so there's some left for Julius. Could it be that the Dyad spell is wearing off? That can't be, we only used it fully three times, and the gap between the second and third time was 5 years, and nothing happened during that period. It's pretty bizarre, and I'm definitely going to have to test my limits throughout the day. For some strange reason, the thought of some of my normal functions coming back is both a relief and exciting. Because...

_If my hunger comes back... what else is coming back?_

* * *

"Wizard King! Wizard King!"

Two pre-teen boys rush up to the poor man, who somehow manages to stay standing as they bowl over into him. "Ah! You know you can call me cousin Julius, right?" Julius laughs nervously, ruffling Pat and Rocco's hair. "It's good to see you, boys!"

"Yeah, yeah, hand over the goods, old man."

"Old man?!"

However Julius has no choice, and he deposits the candy into their open hands. 

"Guys, what did I tell you about demanding things like that? Say thank you, at least!" Lyra and I walk up arm and arm as she scolds her little brothers. Her 6-year-old son, Lewis, holds her hand as we walk, staring up at Julius with wide eyes. They come and visit every year, but this is Lewis's first time at the Star Festival. It's probably also the first time that he understands who exactly Julius is, which is why he looks a little scared. Lyra told me when she arrived a couple minutes ago that her older son was feeling sick, so he stayed home with her husband and Portia. It's probably pretty hard to manage 3 kids at once, but Lyra does it expertly. "It's good to see you again, Julius."

"You too, Lyra." Julius beams over at her before looking down at Lewis. "And what's your name?"

"L-Lewis," the boy stutters. "Are you really the Wizard King?"

 _My god, this is too cute for words!_ I think, biting my lip to keep from smiling too widely. Julius just laughs warmly and nods. "Guilty as charged! I'm also going to be your cousin. Is that okay with you?"

Lewis suddenly grins, nodding rapidly. Julius mirrors his smile and goes ahead and picks him up before turning to Lyra and I. "I'll give these three a tour of the castle, we have some pretty neat things down in our treasury right now. You ladies enjoy yourselves!" Rocco and Pat hop around excitedly as Lyra gives her approval, and the four of them walk off happily down the hall, Julius chatting about something as his voice fades away.

"Ah... he's going to make such a good father." Lyra squeezes my arm, her translucent eyes shining. I clear my throat awkwardly and just nod. "Let me see your ring!"

"Of course!" I hold up my hand as we walk, and I watch her eyes widen at the sight of it. "Oh my goodness... it's stunning. He really outdid himself!" Lyra touches it briefly before looking back up at me. "You must be really happy... I feel like you've both been waiting a long time for this."

"We have... It feels like a dream, honestly." I can't contain my blush at the thought of marrying him, which was coming closer and closer to becoming a reality. "And somehow he acts like _he's_ the lucky one."

"He _is!_ You're a catch!"

The two of us end up in one of the sitting rooms, where we arranged to meet up with some of my other female friends, namely Charlotte and Mereoleona. Dorothy is there, too, but only physically as she slumbers away. Lyra's hands are clutching her tea a little tightly as she sits with me in the loveseat, and I can tell that she's a bit nervous about being around the nobles/captains, even though she's met them a few times before. I do my best to keep the atmosphere light. The cookies that were served with our tea are looking _really_ good, too... better than normal.

"So, have you chosen a dress yet?" Charlotte asks, drinking her tea as daintily as usual.

"Ah, not yet. But I did go out and try some on," I tell her happily. "I can't decide what kind of dress to wear, though."

"Don't wear a dress, they're stuffy," Mereoleona puts in. She looks a bit out of place, leaning her elbows on her knees as she taps her foot a little impatiently.

"Nonsense. I think you'd look nice in a empire-gown... maybe with some lace details and ruffled sleeves," Charlotte adds casually, sizing me up.

I raise my eyebrows at her oddly-specific assertion. "Wow, Charlotte... do you spend a lot of time thinking about wedding dresses or something?"

"Huh?" She immediately goes red and looks away. "No... I definitely haven't."

Lyra and I exchange a glance and giggle. I've shared my suspicions about Charlotte with Lyra, and sometimes it's painfully obvious that Charlotte isn't always a super-serious, aloof woman. She has a weakness as well... "Well, next time I go shopping, I'll take you with me. I could use the advice."

That seems to cheer the Blue Rose captain up. "I would be honored."

"I still think the whole dress thing is overrated," Mereoleona tells me once again, gulping tea before setting the cup down with a _clink_. "Or are you being forced to?"

"Kind of... the ceremony is going to be very official," I tell them. "Julius can't do anything discretely, so we have to invite a lot of people that I don't even know..." Including the King, someone that I would rather not come _anywhere_ close to _my_ wedding. Many of the nobles aren't going to approve of the marriage, even though there's nothing they can really do about it now. They already failed to ruin my life once (mostly). "If I had it my way, I would wear something fun like this," I gesture at the uniform dress I'm wearing now. "But I _know_ they aren't going to approve of the miniskirt...."

"I bet Julius would like that, though." Lyra catches me off-guard with her boldness as she winks. Luckily, Mereo and Charlotte both chuckle along with us at the thought.

"When you and Julius have children, I'm sure they'll be very powerful mages," Charlotte tells me with a smile. I know her words are well-meaning, but I can't help but feel my heart fall at her words. It's true, I'm sure any child that Julius and I produce would have extraordinary magical powers, what with the combination of my Simulcian magic and Julius's time magic... but it would take a miracle for that to happen.

"Well, I'll see you three later at the ceremony!" We part ways soon enough, then meet up with Julius again to have lunch. The boys eat voraciously, so much so that Lyra has to reprimand them once again. Julius just laughs and tells her it's fine, kids will be kids. Secretly, I have to stop myself from eating too fast, since I started to feel hungry again soon before the meal. Marx comes in towards the end, immediately catching Lewis's attention. "B- _blue_ hair?!" he gasps, pointing rather rudely right at the poor man.

"Huh?! Oh, er, yes, I have blue hair." Marx clears his throat before looking back at Julius. "Sir, the King wants to go over the preparations for tonight one last time."

"Ugh, do I have to?"

"Yes!"

"Fine." Julius claps his hand over my knee briefly to get my attention. "I'll see you later, go have fun at the festival."

"I will!" I smile over at him happily, excited to go out and enjoy the festivities. "How much later?"

"As late as the announcement, I'm afraid." Julius shrugs, getting a familiar glint in his eyes. "Who knows, though... I might show up when you least expect it."

He winks once before standing up and leaving, bidding the kids and Lyra farewell one last time.

Evening comes upon us quickly, and we finally head out to go enjoy the festivities. Rocco and Pat run around as wildly as you can expect, skidding to a stop in front of any festival stall that's shiny enough to catch their eyes. "ooh, ooh, can we try this one?! Please!" Pat jumps up and down (his hyper demeanor is probably Julius's fault with all the candy he's been giving out), pointing at one of those carnival games where you throw balls at bowling pins. "Yeah, sure, here." I hand them some of the tickets I bought earlier, and they eagerly run off to try it out, Lewis right behind them at a slower pace.

"My, this festival just gets better every year." Lyra looks around wondrously while chewing on her cotton candy. I glance down at the pink confection and feel my stomach growl again. _Definitely hunger!!_ "It's definitely the highlight of everyone's year."

"Definitely!" I echo, smiling proudly to myself. I remember the very first Star Festival, during my first year as a Magic Knight, and how fun that had been. Who knew that years later I would have a hand in planning it? "I like seeing everyone having fun together for once." Even though the nobles in attendance shoot dirty glances at the commoners and peasants, the atmosphere is anything but hostile. Even their prejudice can't taint this evening. 

"GRRRRR! I CAN'T DO IT!!!"

A familiar scream hits our ears, but I'm used to it by now. "Oh, that's-" I turn to a nearby stall to see none other than Asta and Noelle, playing a shooting game. The gun requires magical power to shoot, so obviously Asta is having trouble.

"Here, Asta, you can use some of mine!"

It takes me a moment to recognize the girl helping him as none other than Kahono, the girl from the seabed temple. But... she's talking! Without really thinking about it, I run over to say hello. "Asta? Noelle? And Kahono, and-" My eyes widen when I spot her brother as well, standing surely on _two_ legs. "Kiato! You guys are back to normal!"

"Oh! Hi!!" Asta waves and Noelle's face lights up. Kahano smiles as well. "Yes! Asta and Noelle invited us here for the festival and gave us these really powerful healing potions! It healed my voice and Kiato's leg perfectly!" She beams up at me. "I feel like I could sing for hours!"

The sound of her voice almost makes me tear up. The damage Vetto did is now completely gone, now that Asta, Kahono, Kiato, and I are healed. "I'm so glad to hear that! I hope the festival has been fun so far!"

"It has!" Kiato speaks up, stealing a glance at Noelle. "We're on a double date, actually."

"D-Double date?!" My eyes widen at this new information, looking between the pairs. _Kiato and Kahono are siblings, so... Asta's on a date with Kahono?! And Noelle with Kiato?!_ It's not something I ever expected to happen, but I can't help but giggle a little at the thought. "Wow... well, have fun, you four." I look at Noelle and give her a wink, which causes her to look away with a _huff._ _Something tells me this isn't exactly what Noelle had planned... Kiato seems like a nice boy, though! He's not as dense as Asta, at least._

"Rocco! Pat! Slow down! Don't you dare bring Lewis in that Haunted House!" 

I turn around to see Lyra chasing after the trio, and she skids to a stop next to me. "I need to go supervise this... I'll catch up to you later!" she promises.

"That's fine!" I chuckle, waving as she runs off after the kids once again. Lyra really loves children, but those three can be a pain in the butt sometimes, especially Rocco and Pat! Rocco has his mother's cloud magic, but Pat has Spark Magic that's starting to get pretty strong. They're only eleven, but Lyra says that they both want to try out for the Magic Knights once they're old enough. Portia seems to be all onboard with the idea. As for my mother... Lyra doesn't talk to me about her any more.

And honestly... I can't be bothered to care.

I stand there alone for another moment. _Yami's probably here... I wonder if he and Jack are still having their competition this year? I better go support them-_

Something grabs my leg.

"AH!"

I nearly panic, but when I look down I see that the sensation just came from a small old lady peering up at me through wrinkled eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry. Do you need something?" I give her a friendly smile, which she returns.

"I didn't mean to startle you, dear! You see-" Her expression turns into a sad one that perfectly pulls at my heartstrings. "I was on my way to set up my stall... this is the only time of year that I earn money, you see- but I was walking through that alley-" She gestures off towards some buildings. "And someone ran by and knocked off my glasses! I can't see very well, can you come help me find them?"

There's several elements of this story that seem suspicious, but I'm in too good a mood to pick up on them. You'd think that after a kidnapping, I would be more careful about this kind of thing. You would be wrong.

"Yeah, of course! That alley over there?" I point, and the lady nods. "Alright, let's go."

Feeling like a good Samaritan, I take her hand and lead her over there, not noticing her sly smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time!!! Chapter 76: the "old woman." It's rated (***) so you can guess what happens. 
> 
> AND
> 
> Chapter 77: the star festival pt. 4


	76. the "old woman" (***)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning... sex... aka Julius is fucking stressed out and horny

"Glasses... glasses..." 

I scour the ground of the alley after the short old woman leads me in there. It's very dim, now that the sun has truly set. We're also pretty deep into the alley by now, the sounds of the festival dulled. "You were all the way back here when you lost them?" 

"Yes, sadly." The lady hasn't been doing much to help, but she's missing her glasses so I can't blame her. Although, I feel like I've seen her before, and she wasn't wearing glasses back then. "I think I might have kicked them under that crate... you should be able to reach over to the back-"

 _You could have told me that before!_ I think, slightly annoyed, before I head over. The crate is kind of thick, and tall, so it's not easy to reach over. "...almost..." I grunt, getting on my tiptoes and stretching my arm, just getting it into the crack behind the crate. But it becomes obvious that I can't make it all the way down. I start to sit up again, too occupied to notice a strange, brief golden glow behind me. "I don't think I can reach it, maybe if I move the crate-"

I'm cut off as someone shoves me back down onto my stomach and holds me there. My eyes widen when I realize that this strength definitely does not belong to an old woman, and I almost start to panic before I hear a familiar voice. 

"You should be more careful following strangers into dark alleys. You never know what kind of position you'll end up in~"

Oh. Of course it's Julius, who's probably slacking off in order to have a little fun. Or maybe not, his voice sounds awfully serious from down here. "Julius? Are you alright-"

I cut myself off as he grabs my shoulder to pin me down further. I don't even have to see his face to know that it's going to be one of _those_ nights. "Absolutely not. This day has been fucking dreadful. Those nobles are driving me up the wall... I don't think it's fair that you get to come down here and have fun while I'm stuck up there..." He suddenly leans down and whispers against the shell of my ear:

" _Bad girl."_

I shiver at his words, trying to squirm but unable to as he basically has me immobilized with one hand. "Stay still, my sweet. You can still redeem yourself." His free hand comes down to grope my ass momentarily before pulling my tights and panties down to my thighs. I'm about to remind him that we are indeed in a _very_ public place, but the words choke in my throat as his fingers roughly penetrate me. "You're already so wet, you've been dreaming about this all day, haven't you?" Julius says with a smirk, not giving me time to answer before he slips the digits out. "So have I... My cock's rock hard right now. Do you want it?"

Somehow it's already out and prodding between my legs. I nod eagerly, and let out a high-pitched whine as he suddenly pushes into me, bottoming out right away with a moan. He gives me maybe one second to get used to it before starting a relentless pace. I claw helplessly at the surface I'm bent over, his raw dick stings so much that I have tears pricking at my eyes. Julius only gets this rough when he's extremely stressed out. Even so, he suddenly stops his movements, then leans down and whispers in my ear with a much different tone. 

"Darling?"

"...yeah?" I'm still catching my breath. 

Julius clears his throat awkwardly. "You remember the safeword, right?"

For some reason, I can't help but let out a weak giggle. "It's _moonlight,_ right? Why?"

"Good, good-" I feel his hand caress my back gently. "I... I wanted to make sure you didn't forget, if you were uncomfortable with any of this-"

Aww. Julius indeed sounds tired and stressed out, but he's still trying to be sweet to me. "I said I wanted you to jump me when I wasn't expecting it, right?" I sit up slightly and reach back to caress his cheek, feeling him lean into the touch. "I'm fine, Julius, I promise."

"Alright..." Julius kisses my cheek before his voice darkens again. "Then be a good girl and bend over for me again."

I can't obey him any faster, his hands gripping my shoulders as he goes to town. Julius knows exactly what to do to pleasure a woman, so I know that he's purposely avoiding those spots right now, even though the mere feeling of being stretched by him is getting me so wet. One of his hands grabs the back of my neck and his grunts start to get louder. "Say my name, now," he demands, his voice wavering as the pleasure starts to overtake him. 

"Ah- Julius-"

I cry out as his free hand suddenly slaps my ass so hard I'm sure the entire fesitval can hear it. "I-I mean, Wizard King~"

"Again."

"Wizard King!"

His pace becomes sloppy as he finally cums at the sound of my voice, letting out a low moan as he fills me up. I take a second to catch my breath. My thighs are sore from being pressed against the corner of the crate, and I try to sit up and stretch, but Julius doesn't loosen his grip on me. "N-Not yet."

I feel him start to use mana, whimpering as his cock suddenly hardens again. "I'm not done... that okay with you?"

Of course it is. My heart is pounding the longer he goes, afraid that someone's going to come looking for me only to find me being railed in an alley. Although, for all I know, Julius is making time pass differently in here than out there, so we might be here a while. Julius becomes less and less tough the longer he goes, his touches softening and eventually he presses his chest into my back as his hips roll gently. Finally, he's hitting all the right spots, and one of his hands slips down to rub slow circles around my clit. "That feels good, right?" He whispers into my ear. "Tell me."

"So good..." I barely manage to string the words together. "I-I want to cum-"

"Cum for me, sweet thing." The sound of his voice in my ear makes the task easy. Julius picks up his pace slightly as I do exactly what he says, gritting his teeth at the feeling of me clenching in pleasure. A moment later, he follows me. His warmth fills me once again, and he finally pulls out. 

"... damn." Julius wipes some sweat off of his forehead, buttoning his pants again before looking down at me. "You okay?"

I nod probably ten times in a row, my knees shaking a little. "Yeah... ah..." I wince a little as I try to sit up. "Ouch- I think you broke me."

"Oh dear!" Julius can't help but giggle along with me. After what we just did, we both feel like awkward, horny teenagers who just fucked in some cloest at school. "Let me help." I relax as he starts to pull up my underwear and tights, only pausing for a moment. As soon as they're back on, his hand suddenly comes up to palm my poor, abused pussy, drawing a gasp from my lips. "You better be careful when you stand up... there's _something_ dripping out of you."

My face heats up with embarassment when I realize what he means. "J-Julius, you dog!" I finally manage to stand up, my stance unsteady. "You're lucky you're the most- ah-" my voice trails off and I press my thighs together. Julius hums a little with laughter before wrapping his arms around me and silencing my objections with a kiss. "... I'm sorry it's been a tough day," I tell him when he finally releases my lips. "I feel kind of bad for leaving you-"

"Don't feel bad, I'm glad you're having fun." Julius smiles down at me thoughtfully, his thumb brushing over my cheek. "Thank you for- uh- indulging me." I can't help but giggle as a rare blush appears on his cheeks, visible even in the dim light of the alley. "I'm lucky to have a fiancee who's as adventurous as me~"

"You are. Any other woman would have dropped dead by now!"

Julius giggles and goes in for another kiss before getting distracted by a loud sound from above. We both look up to see the darkening sky filled with fireworks, popping loudly with each explosion. "Marvelous... the fireworks aren't scheduled until 6.30, though," Julius observes, still smiling as we admire the spectacle. "Someone's having a laugh, I bet."

"For sure." I lean my head on his shoulder as we stand there together, relishing the private moment. "When we get married, someone's going to want to set off fireworks, right?"

Julius nods slowly, thinking it over. "Yeah... it's going to be a big deal. It's been a while since an active Wizard King has gotten married, so the Kingdom is going to make a big deal about it."

"Especially such a great Wizard King!" I tease.

"Oh?" Julius can't help but chuckle. "I suppose I'm pretty great~"

I roll my eyes but let him kiss my forehead. "I celebrate every day, the fact that I get to marry the woman I love. So..." He takes my hand and starts to pull me back towards the festival with a grin on his face.

"We don't want to miss any more of the festival, do we?"

"Julius! It's your fault that we missed so much already!"

"I don't remember you resisting."

"... shut up."

But once again, I don't resist as he leads me away. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time!!! Chapter 77: the star festival part 4! The rankings are finally announced, as is the new Royal Knights!


	77. the star festival pt. 4

Apparently, Julius didn't just come to the festival to mess around. Before we get back onto the street, he transforms back into the old woman and produces a big satchel out of no where. He told me it was filled with a "delicacy," grilled purple snakes. "I'm going to sell them in the market, that way I can spy on everything happening! Where are Yami and Jack?"

I was going to head over there anyway so the pair of us make our way to the food stalls, and I spot the two of them already yelling at each other from their stalls. Jack is selling sliced meat and Yami is selling his steamed squid. The mere thought of eating any of those things is making my mouth water, so I quickly head on over.

"There you are! You look terrible, you sick?" Yami "greets" me, eyeing me suspiciously.

I gulp nervously and glare at him, subconsciously pressing my thighs together again. "N-No, I'm _not_ sick! I am perfectly fine." I change the subject by sniffing the air. "Both of these smell really, really good..."

"Ka ka, you know you want my sliced meat, don't'cha?" Jack gestures at the food piled up on his stall. "Freshly cooked, and freshly sliced, of course."

"Disgusting, what you _really_ want is one of my grilled squids." Yami picks one up, skewered on a stick, and waves it in front of me enticingly. "I went out and caught them at sea just this morning."

"Wow..." I look between the two of them, feeling another fight brewing. "Well... luckily for you guys..." I grin and pull out some money. "I can afford to buy both!"

"Sugar baby!" both of them groan.

"You're just jealous!"

"Ba-ha!!! I know you!!" My attention is suddenly caught by a boy who's been cowering behind Jack this whole time, wearing the Praying Mantis cloak. He seems familiar but he's not important enough that I remember where I met him before. "You're that advisor! The one at the exam! The one who was kidnapped! The one who was the 2nd most eligible bachelorette in the Kingdom!"

"...what?" 

"Also, the one who's about to marry the Wizard King, ka ka!" Jack reminds Ba-Ha before kicking him out of sight. "Here's your sliced meat... come buy more of mine if you like it better than Yami's, haha!"

"Fat chance." Yami hands me two squids. "The second one is on the house."

"Thank you, guys!" I happily wave to them before walking off by myself, biting into my food. There's practically stars in my eyes at the taste. "They're both so good!" I say to myself before I hear someone calling my name. I turn to see Lyra running towards me, holding Lewis's hand. "Hey!"

"Where have you been?" Lyra asks, a little out of breath as she reaches me. "We've been looking everywhere."

"Er-" I scratch my neck awkwardly. "Uh... I was... well, I got preoccupied. Where's Pat and Rocco?"

"They wanted to go through the haunted house again," Lyra bemoans, squeezing Lewis's hand. "This one got scared, though."

I can see that Lewis has some tears left in his eyes, and he looks very tired. Poor kid! "Well, why don't we go sit down and get some food? I'm sure the twins will show up again later."

And we do just that, settling down in a nearby restaurant for dinner. More fireworks go off, and soon it's almost 7, time for the announcements. "I have to go... will I see you guys afterwards?" I ask as I stand up to leave.

"I don't know... we might slip away right afterwards," Lyra tells me sadly. "Say goodnight, boys."

"Goodnight!" The three of them give me a hug before Lyra stands up and wraps her arms around me. "I probably won't see you until the wedding, right?"

I smile a little at the thought. "Maybe not... the next time you see me, I'll be wearing white!"

Lyra giggles and squeezes me tight before standing back to study my face. "You look so... happy." She says it as if it's something strange. I forget sometimes that Lyra has been around since the beginning, literally, seeing me at my lowest points. When I failed the exam, when my father died... and when my mother decided that she didn't want to love me any more.

"I'm more happy than I've ever been in my life," I tell her, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "The future is bright... I know it."

_That's right... after everything I've noticed today with my hunger... there might be a chance..._

"I love you. Take care of yourself."

"You too, Lyra."

After that, I run off towards the main pavilion where the announcement will be held. After climbing up the spiral staircase, I find Marx and Julius waiting up at the top. "There you are! You were very nearly late, you know," Marx scolds me, his voice clipped. He sounds almost as stressed out as Julius did earlier. Julius's eyes light up (even though we haven't been apart for long), and goes in for a hug just to be pushed out of the way by Marx. "Get a hold of yourselves! Here, put this on." Marx hands me my cloak and cape that I neglected to put on earlier. "Everyone's gathering down below, we better start."

"Right, I'm ready!" I quickly put on the clothes and give them both a thumbs up. 

The crowd roars to life with cheers as we walk out onto the balcony, although most if not all of it is directed at Julius. He simply smiles and waves, exuding his usual strength and kindness that enamors everyone who sees him. The Captains appear on the level below us, spurring more applause. Everyone is excited to hear the rankings this year... well, almost everyone. I already know what the rankings are, but I'm worried about how they're all going to take it. 

_Yami... he's not here._ I raise an eyebrow as I notice his abscence. _And Charlotte, too? What on earth could have happened to them?_

High above the crowd, I don't notice that there's a lot more attention focused on _me_ than usual.

_"That advisor, she's the one who's engaged to the Wizard King?"_

_"That's what I heard!"_

_"Didn't she get kicked out of the Magic Knights?"_

_"That was a long time ago, I heard she served as the Crimson Lions captain before Mereoleona got here."_

_"Isn't she just a commoner, though?"_

_"She's served him for 7 years, I'm sure they fell in love over that time."_

_"Maybe she's using that mark to mind control him!"_

The talking and cheering dies down as soon as Julius raises his hand and starts to address them. It gives me chills every time, seeing how easily he can control a crowd of hundreds of people. "... so, without further ado, here are the rankings for this year!"

Marx conjures up one of his screens to display the name of the winner, the squad everyone expected.

"In first place, the Golden Dawn!"

Everyone claps for them, and I glance down to see William smiling serenely out at the crowd. Then, from behind him, a young man with messy black hair steps out to join him as Julius continues to talk.

"And this year's highest achieving member... a rookie of only 6 months, and accompanied by the Wind Spirit, Sylph... Yuno!"

My eyes widen a bit at the sight of the boy. It's been six months since I last saw him, right after he was recruited on the night I was kidnapped. Yuno is almost unrecognizable, his poise and expression looking stately and... powerful. Not to mention that he has one of the great spirits floating beside him. It's strange, and I almost get a chill from seeing him for some reason.

"And now... in 2nd place..."

Julius takes a deep breath through his nose before the screen changes to a new name.

"The Black Bulls!"

The crowd doesn't cheer this time, but a wave of murmurs ripples through the crowd. Julius gives me a microscopic wince, and I know he half expected this reaction. However, the whispers fade as people start to shout, telling of how the Black Bulls helped them over the past six months. I remember how well they all worked together, how efficiently they defended the Witch's forest, and all the growth I've seen from them over such a short amount of time. "Well... I'm happy to hear this," Julius finally says, glancing down to the captains before looking back into the crowd. "Is there anyone from the Black Bulls that can come up here?"

Right on cue, I hear screaming, and none other than Asta comes rocketing up towards us, as if thrown by a great strength. He pulls out his sword to break his fall, and finally he and Yuno stand together as the two top rookies of this year.

Julius goes through the rest of the squads, moving through the Silver Eagles, Blue Roses, Crimson Lions, all the way to the Aqua Deer at the end. Rill is shocked to hear that his squad took the bottom squad this year, but he really didn't do anything to distinguish himself after all. "Now, we have a special guest tonight!" Julius gestures towards the doorway behind us. "Everyone, help me greet the King himself, Augustus Kira Clover the 13th!"

Somehow, the crowd doesn't seem too excited to see the man as he comes slithering out of the dark, the applause nowhere near the level that Julius got. Augustus shoots a glare at him before addressing the crowd. "Good evening everyone. It is great to see you-" I can't be bothered to pay attention and start to zone out until Julius brings me back to reality with a tap on my shoulder. "What?"

He responds to my question by just leaning down to whisper in my ear. "You look a bit tired... I hope you didn't overwork yourself earlier~"

 _Gah! I knew he was going to say something like that!_ I shake my head, gritting my teeth as I'm sure my ears turn bright red. If he doesn't shut up, the crowd is about to see me throw hands with the Wizard King. Luckily, Julius gets the message and straightens up again with a chuckle just in time to hear Augustus get to the good part of his speech.

"Through _my_ great effort, we have found the base of the horrible traitors, the Eye of the Midnight Sun!" The crowd gasps softly at the news. "Because of this, I have decided to form a special group of knights to take out these terrorists once and for all! There will be a special exam held in one week to choose the members, and this group will be called the Royal Knights!"

The crowd is fired up now, cheering loudly for the Royal Knights. Augustus smirks and shoots another glance over at Julius, who just shakes his head slowly. As expected, Augustus took the credit for Julius's idea, but everyone can tell who was really behind all of this. One small moment of glory is fine.

"... He really hasn't done much to impress us, though."

Our attention is suddenly drawn to the lower platform, where I see Asta and Yuno talking a little too loudly to each other. Well, mostly Asta, but Yuno is nodding along to his words. "I mean, the ones we think are amazing are the Captains and the Wizard King, not the King!"

"Asta..." Yuno warns, but it's too late. Augustus looks like he's about to have an aneurism. His anger builds up until he loses it, screaming and pointing a stubby finger at the pair.

"YOU TWO!!! HOW DARE YOU SPEAK ABOUT ME LIKE THAT! KILL THEM! ExECUTE THEM NOOOOOW!!!"

Silence falls around the plaza, the crowd and everyone else not sure that they heard that right.

"...execute them?"

"NOW! NOW! NOW!" My eyes widen as Augustus repeats himself. _He's actually serious?! Jesus Christ, don't tell me I'm going to have to kick his ass or something-_

Luckily, Julius suddenly steps in front of the King, still smiling yet managing to diffuse the situation at once. "Sir, please, for my sake, let's pardon them. They may become your shield one day."

Augustus's eye twitches, but he knows he's just making a fool of himself now. "Grr..."

Julius just smiles and turns back to the crowd. "I have high hopes for this upcoming operation, and I can't wait to see these Royal Knights in action!"

With that, the festival ends, and the crowd starts to thin. Julius sighs before turning back to Marx and I, and Augustus stomps off by himself. "Well, it's over. Thanks for the support, you two." His eyes twinkle. "I'm going to go speak to Asta and Yuno, I hope they both will try out for the Royal Knights."

"Definitely!" It'll be hard for the two rookies, but I'm looking forward to watching them square off with some of the older knights. "I'll go with you-"

"Absolutely not!" Marx points at me. "I have a job for you... you noticed that Yami and Charlotte were both missing, right?"

I blink, slowly nodding before he continues. "Go find them and chew them out for a while."

"Find them? But, Marx-" I laugh nervously. "What if they're... you know..."

"I don't care. They were incredibly rude for missing the ceremony."

I let out a sigh, I can't argue with that. Yami might have just been taking a shit, but Charlotte's absence was strange. "Alright..." I look up at Julius. "I'll see you back home, then?"

"I'll be waiting for you." He gives me a cryptic wink before we part ways.

Unfortunately, tracking down the two wayward captains is no easy task. I spend a long time scouring the streets up and down, checking almost every bar in town. _Maybe they really did go somewhere... together._ It's fairly obvious that Charlotte has feelings for Yami, but I can't tell if Yami shares those feelings. They would make a cute couple though, and if Charlotte was brave enough to say something...

"Let me down you crazy Sisgoleon!"

My eyes light up as I hear a familiar voice, and I take off running in that direction. "Yami! There you-" I skid to a stop when I spot what's happening. He and several others are all hanging from some horrible flaming chandelier, being carted to who-knows-where by none other than Mereoleona. Yami, Charlotte, Asta, Noelle, and Charlotte's comrade Sol are all there, as well as Yuno. "W-what's going on here?"

"Ah, there you are." Suddenly, another fire paw shoots out and grabs my head, lifting me up too. "You're coming as well."

"What?! Mereo! Let me down!" I flail my fists futilely as I'm hung up by all the others. "Yami! Tell her to-"

"Just let it happen, we're trapped," Yami cuts me off bluntly, although he doesn't look too happy either.

"Ah! Don't tell me you've accepted this fate!?"

"Oi, ma'am! It might not be so bad!" I look over to see Asta talking to me now. "Sisgoleon says that we're going to a hot spring!"

"Don't call me that!" Mereo growls as she starts to walk again.

"Huh? A hot spring... that doesn't sound to bad-"

"No way..." Yuno mutters under his breath.

"A-A-A hot spring, we can't!!!" Noelle protests.

"You're right, Mereo, I have somewhere to be!" I plead, remembering Julius's promise to be waiting for me. I wasn't exactly sure what that meant but I really want to find out!

"This is important. Quit yapping and hold on!"

Mereo doesn't give us more warning as she springs off into the night, kidnapping us on some impromptu adventure. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time! Chapter 78! The Volcano trail! MC has been kidnapped, but ends up finding a new resolve thanks to Mereoleona and the others.


	78. the volcano

"Welcome to the Yultim Volcano trail! We're currently in a strong magic region, and the flame mana here is so strong that it will burn right through you if you're not careful."

Hot Springs, my ass! What was Asta talking about? Just as Mereoleona describes, a giant, erupting mountain towers above us, it's sides covered with lava and molten rock. It looks extremely dangerous, and the heat is almost suffocating. We weren't the only ones dragged here, either; The entire Crimson Lion Kings squad shuffled over here and is staring up at the daunting task ahead of them. I suppose this is their punishment for getting 5th place at the Star Festival.

"Wait, didn't you say there were hot springs?" Asta pipes up nervously.

"Yes, indeed" Mereoleona barks. "The Hot Springs are at the very top of the volcano, so anyone who wants to bask in it needs to make it up there by midnight! Am I clear?!"

"Grrr... let's do this!" Leopold yells, raising his fist. His exclamation spurs on the others, and they jump down the cliff to start the long climb up the slope. 

"Ugh... well, if there's a hot springs at the top," Yami grumbles, flexing his shoulders briefly before letting his mana skin activate. "Let's go, Prickly Queen."

"Don't order me around," Charlotte mutters before obeying him anyway. Sol is right behind them, not wanting her Captain to be alone with a man. Yuno, being the quiet prodigy he is, flies off in perfect form, and Noelle manages to get her mana skin going as well. "...hmm... I wish I had a flight spell or something..." I say to myself, watching Yuno glide away. 

"Hey, aren't you going, too?" Mereoleona catches my attention as she watches the others go ahead.

"Yeah..." I raise my hand and my Grimoire flips open, but there's something bothering me. "Mana skin is needed to get through this region... but Asta doesn't have any magic," I remind her, pointing up ahead at the boy, who's clearly struggling and already lagging behind the main group. "What's he supposed to do?"

"...Do I look like I care?" Mereoleona shrugs. A little harsh, but something tells me there's more to her statement than she's letting on. "If he really wants to climb the mountain, he'll find a way."

 _Sounds like Yami's "surpass your limits" speech,_ I think, laughing nervously. "Well, he might need a pep talk or something."

"Maybe..." Mereoleona sighs before activating her Mana skin. "You better get going though, if you want to make it to the top on time."

I snort with laughter. "Seriously? I'll beat you there!" She returns my smirk before I cast my spell. " _Fire Creation Magic, Flaming Condor!"_ The bird appears, spreading it's wings and allowing me to step onto its back. This is the closest spell I have to a flight spell, and it's super easy to lose my balance as the bird takes off. I haven't actually manifested a new spell in a while, I've just learned new techniques such as mana zone. But it'll do just fine for now. "See you at the top," I tease before finally taking off, zooming up towards the mountainside. 

"Hey guys!" I pass right over the main group of Crimson Lions, who have to crane their necks to see me flying over them. "I'll tell you how the hot springs were when I come back this way!"

"Ah! Shut up! I mean-" Gareth scowls but cuts himself off. "I wouldn't be so sure, _Captain."_

 _Captain? You don't have to call me that anymore, Gareth._ However, I keep my confident expression on. "Oh yeah? Then prove- AHH!" I let out a scream as Flaming Condor suddenly gets yanked down, and I barely manage to break my fall before hitting the ground. Only one person has the balls and the power to do that to me...

"Ha ha, very funny, Horatio."

I sit up and glare at the man, who's standing at the front of the group with a smug look on his face. "That's what you get for being cocky, Candlestick," he taunts.

"Oh? You're calling me names again? Sounds like someone's insecure about something," I shoot right back, brushing myself off as I rise to my feet. "You've _aged_ gracefully, by the way."

Horatio bristles a bit at that, knowing full well that he looks about a decade older than I do, through no fault of his own. "Well... whatever." He decides to drop the subject. "Anyway, you should run up with us, you're here to be a good example to us, aren't you?"

"Uh, I'm actually here against my will, but sure." I look longingly up the mountain to see Yami, Charlotte, and Yuno already bounds ahead of everyone else. _I guess I won't be able to beat Mereoleona to the top, now._ "But I'm not walking!" 

Without any more complaints, the group continues up the mountain, while I enjoy the view from above. It's very fitting now that my spell takes the form of a vulture, while I fly circles in the air above the sweltering squad. Despite getting 5th place and getting chewed out by Mereo, they stick together and manage to push their limits. For any ordinary mages, this strong magic area would be too much, but these are Crimson Lion Kings. They live for this.

 _And so do I... Well, so_ did _I._

After a while, Mereoleona comes shooting by, giving me a smirk. "There you are! Stop babysitting my squad and hurry up!"

"grrr, fine!" Despite the objections from below, I hurry off after Mereo, who manages to keep at least three steps ahead at all times. However, I'm right behind, and soon the two of us are neck and neck with Yami and Charlotte. "Say, where'd Yuno go?" I ask, curious to see him in action.

"The windy brat? He passed us," Yami informs me with disdain. I nod once in response before shooting off again, trying to keep my center of gravity low as my spell snakes around the dense array of magma geysers and falling rocks. I _really_ don't feel like falling down and burning in a lava pit tonight, especially since Julius is probably worried about where I am already. _Oh shit, that's right..._ I cringe a little at the thought. _I'm sorry, Julius! I'll be back soon, but this is actually turning out to be pretty fun!_

"There he is!" I spot Yuno flying in circles around the lip of the volcano, examining the crater. Mereo lands gracefully on a rock outcropping down below. Interestingly enough... there's no hotsprings, only magma. _Is that supposed to be the springs? Is Mereo trying to burn our skin off?_ Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised.

"WATCH OUUUUT!"

A familiar scream catches our attentions, and sure enough, here comes Asta! However, I'm a little shocked to see him flying, some weird, dark power flowing through him into one black wing. His sword is almost pulling him along, and he doesn't seem to have much control. In fact... my eyes widen when I realize he's coming _straight for me._

I do the only logical thing, I turn and fly away as fast as I can, screaming the entire time. I've seen him swing that sword around, and I do _not_ want to be on the business end! "Asta?!?! What the Hell?!" I yell at him, glancing over my shoulder to see him coming closer.

"I'm sorry! It's pulling me towards you!!" Asta pleads, panicking a little. Whatever this power is he's using, he obviously doesn't know how to handle it at the moment. It's still really cool, though... But that doesn't change the fact that I'm about to get clobbered!

With a sharp breath, I raise my hand and slow down, letting him approach. "Asta, I'm sorry!"

"What?!-"

" _Chrono Stasis!"_

Asta freezes in midair, suspended in time. I let out a sigh of relief, at least this problem's been solved for the time being. "Here, hold on." I finally land, jumping down onto an outcropping close to Mereoleona. I wave my hand to release the spell, and Asta flops onto the ground, his power retreating back into him. "What on earth was that?" I demand, wincing a bit as I feel a nosebleed coming on, a side-effect of wielding the time-magic spell.

"My anti-magic... It was pulling me towards you for some reason," Asta tells me, jumping back onto his feet. "But- did I get here before Yuno!?"

"Not a chance." We both look up to see Yuno hovering above us, a satisfied smile on his face. Asta growls. "Next time, I'll beat you!"

"Not a chance!"

I shake my head at the two boys, wiping my nose with my sleeve. ...more _rivals, huh?_

Finally, everyone reaches the top, and miraculously the lava drains off somewhere out of sight. A few moments later, steaming hot water bursts into the crater, filling it to the brim. "Every night, the lava retreats and an amazing hot spring is born!" Mereoleona announces, gesturing down towards the huge pool. "Now, it's time to enjoy it!"

"YEAH!!!"

"Take of your clothes!"

".... huh?!"

"No way! No man is going to look upon sis's pearly flawless skin!" Sol yells, placing her hands on the ground. The mountain rumbles, and a huge wall of dirt appears to split it in half. "There! Men, go on the other side!"

"...yes ma'am."

At long last, I get to discard my sweaty clothes and jump in, practically moaning as the hot water hits my skin. "Mereo, you weren't kidding! This is amazing!!!" I close my eyes and lean up against the wall next to her, soaking up the steam. "A perfect end to a long day..."

"Why would I lie? I've always known what's best," Mereo replies snarkily, producing cups of a drink out of nowhere. "There's nothing better than a nice drink in a hot spring!"

"Agreed!" I eagerly accept one and start sipping. "You want some, Charlotte?"

Charlotte glances over at us, her cheeks reddening. "Er, no thank you."

"Aw, why not? It'll be fun." Mereo slings her arm over the woman's shoulder and invades her personal space. "You're not trying to say you can't hold your alcohol!"

"Give it to me! I'll take some!"

The high-pitched voice, to all of our surprises, is coming from a tiny little green pixie that's flitting around us all. _Is that the Sylph?! Yuno's wind spirit?_ I think, eyeing the little being while Mereo gives her a bit to drink and she immediately falls over passed out. _She's not at all what I expected..._

I hear a strange whimpering sound and look over to see Charlotte covering her face. She's been acting extremely strange all night, not at all like her usual aloof self. "Charlotte, you okay?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine!" she mumbles, lowering her hands but refusing to look me in the eye. I exchange a glance with Mereoleona and Noelle briefly before looking back at Charlotte. There's been a question burning in my mind the whole time. "So... I couldn't help but notice that you weren't at the announcement..."

Charlotte winces. "I'm truly sorry... it was a mistake. I acted in a way un-becoming of a magic knights captain-"

"Yeah, yeah, but what I really wanted to ask..." I wiggle my eyebrows at her twice. " _Yami_ was missing too... were you two-"

"NO! GOOD HEAVENS NO!! WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU EVEN THINK THAT?!! _YaMi?!?!"_

I can't help but giggle at the over-the-top reaction. _Oh Charlotte... you're a goner, aren't you?_ I'm not exactly sure what she sees in Yami, admittedly, but he's probably just not my type. Either that, or he's been my friend too long for me to consider him a romantic possibility. Or maybe it's just because I'm a goner for someone else. "Charlotte... you'll be a lot happier if you're more honest with yourself." She glares and opens her mouth, but I don't give her a moment to interject. "Julius and I didn't beat around the bush, back when we were first, uh-" I shrug, knowing that they all got the point. I can't help but notice that some of the other girls have gathered around now to listen. "It was easier to make our feelings known when we embraced them fully. So... I guess the first step to making those feelings a reality is to acknowledge them yourself."

Charlotte looks up at my face curiously for a moment, a hint of understanding on her face. Then, it fades away, and she looks back at the water's surface. "...you're mistaken. There are no _feelings."_

 _"..._ whatever you say." I shrug before looking at the small crowd that's formed. "So, anyone else want relationship advice? I guess I'm an expert... I have the ring to prove it!" I hold up my hand, causing some _oohs_ and _aahs._

"What is he like? At home, I mean," one of them asks curiously.

"Well... I guess he's like anyone else. He likes to relax, read, go on long walks. He deserves a little free time, at least!"

"Is he a good boyfriend? Er, I guess he is, or else you wouldn't be engaged!"

"Exactly, he's... amazing, honestly." I start to feel a bit dreamy just thinking about it. "He always makes time for me, even though he's busy. And he's always finding ways to surprise me every day!"

"Ooh, like what?"

"...er-" I can't help but think about his surprise visit earlier. "You know... gifts and stuff."

"I've never really thought about him being... domestic," Sol muses, looking up at the sky. "He sounds a lot better than most men."

I frown a bit at the statement, not exactly sure how to respond. "Is he... passionate?" one of the girls asks cheekily. 

"...very."

That gets me a few giggles, and I smile proudly to myself. 

The night goes on, and the boys only try to peep at us once, but Sol thwarts their efforts easily. I eventually tune into Mereo and Noelle talking together.

"My mother really came here..." Noelle says to herself quietly, smiling up at the stars.

"She did... she brought me here to train many times." Mereo smiles at the memory before looking over at me. "That's part of the reason I dragged you along... I never got to train you here, so it seems fitting that you should come."

The thought warms my heart. Mereo's mentor brought her here, and now she's _my_ mentor, in a way. Sometimes I forget that I've been acknowledged by the very people I idolized long ago. It's honestly surreal. "Wow... I appreciate it."

"But listen up! You should come back here and climb the mountain normally sometime."

"Huh?! Why?"

"You can always get stronger. Challenge yourself and keep training, you never know where it'll take you!"

I blink, slowly realizing that her words might be ones I really needed to hear right now.

 _She's right... I don't even know if this is my dead end. I haven't even seen an "end" yet._ "Right! Thank you, Mereo!"

"And you too, Noelle! You still have a long ways to go!"

"Eh?!"

* * *

And finally, we all go home. With a lot on my mind, I trudge upstairs in the castle before reaching my room and pushing the door open. _I'm gonna take a shower... then get some sleep-_

I freeze when I realize that the lights are still on.

Julius kept his promise; he waited for me, alright. I can imagine what he was trying to set up: I get home, and he's waiting for me, draped over the pillows in a sexy position and wearing his finest bathrobe, loosened just enough to expose his toned chest and stomach. Champagne and candles are at the ready. "O _h, you're finally here. I've been waiting, darling~"_ Unfortunately, it seems I'm a little too late... he's fast asleep, snoring away into his pillow. I let out a long breath before tiptoeing over and gently running my hand over his shoulder. "...Julius?"

His eyes blink open, widening slightly when he sees me. "AH! Uh-" He props himself up on an elbow, his other arm draping over his hip, and gives me drowsy bedroom eyes. "Oh, you're finally here! I've been waiting, darling~" he recites groggily.

We both stay silent for a few seconds before bursting into a fit of laughter.

"Julius! You really stayed up to surprise me like this?" I ask, still giggling as I sit down on the edge of the bed.

"Yeah, I thought you'd like coming home to this," Julius replies, starting to sit up. "I didn't expect you to be so late, though."

I wince a little. "Ah... about that. I got kidnapped by-"

"Kidnapped!?"

"Kidnapped by _Mereoleona-"_ I finish before he can start to truly panic. "She took me, Yami, Charlotte, and some others with her to a special training area."

"Oh, I see." Julius relaxes, reaching out and snaking an arm around my waist so he can pull me against him. I don't resist, and I can't help but grin a little at the familiar touch. "Did you have fun?"

"Yeah... I'm sorry I was so late, though," I tell him, starting to feel guilty. "But... you look nice. This bathrobe is sexy."

Julius grins to himself, sucking in a breath as I run a hand through the hair on his chest. "Well, then it was worth it to stay up." His hand comes up to caress my cheek. "Even if it's..." He glances at the clock and chuckles before looking back down at my face. "Nearly 3 am."

I just giggle and lean up to meet his kiss in response, letting him wrap his arms around me and pull me down with him into bed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time!! MC goes out to train on her own, but doesn't expect to end up encountering the Star Rookie himself. Also, where has Julius been disappearing to all the time? Find out in Chapter 79: the boy in the woods!


	79. the boy in the woods

"Salt... pepper... cheese... a little bit of basil... and- there!"

I clasp my hands proudly as I admire my culinary creation, an omelet that's, for all I'm concerned, absolutely perfect. It's been a couple days since the Star Festival, since the day my hunger truly returned. Now that I'm exponentially more interested in food than I have been in years, a sudden love of cooking has flared up. Of course, I'm not so good at it yet since I haven't cooked for myself in 6 years, but today is a milestone. Omelets are simple yet tasty, and I seem to have perfected that level. _I'm going to go show Julius,_ I think to myself, feeling determined. _And then, when he asks why I'm suddenly cooking all the time... I'll tell him it's because my hunger is back. And if my hunger is back... maybe_ something else _can happen as well._

Part of me wonders if I'm just getting my hopes up and will ultimately be disappointed, but I have nothing left to lose. And I want Julius to know.

"Julius! Look what I just made-"

As I open the door to his office, Julius is already on his way out, looking like he's in a hurry. He doesn't stop walking, just glances down at the plate in my hands. "Ooh, is that for me?"

I frown a little, wondering what's going on. "Uh, no, I made it for-"

"Aww, alright, well I have somewhere to be anyway. Enjoy, darling!" And without another word, Julius runs off out of sight. 

I stand there, stunned, for a couple more seconds. _This is the third time this week he's run off on me... is he trying to avoid me or something?_ I can't deny that I feel a little hurt by his callous behavior, even though he probably has a reason. With a sigh, I eat my omelet alone before getting ready to leave as well.

"You're going out again today?" Marx stops me on my way out.

"Yeah," I reply quickly. I've been going out to train in the forest every day, honing my mana further and further. I don't really have a reason to do so, other than what Mereoleona suggested. I can always get better, and I never know when those skills will suddenly come in handy. Plus, I can literally _feel_ myself getting close to a new spell, and I've made it my goal to have it manifest sometime this week. "I'm sorry, I'll be back to help you out in the evening."

"You better be!" Marx grumbles. "Julius runs off every day before I can even catch him... I wonder what he could be doing."

_You and me both, Marx..._

* * *

It's a nice hot day outside, one that gets me sweating as soon as I take off on my room. There's a forest outside the capital that I've trained at since I first moved away from home, it's familiarity boosting my confidence. No one ever walks by, so I don't have to worry about being self conscious, either. Over the years, I've focused less and less on the physical aspects of training and instead focused on just building my mana. I've gotten way better at handling large amounts of magic, and am even comfortable with letting off those larger attacks. I'll never be able to use time magic as gracefully as Julius does, and I can't even do all of his spells. _Chrono Anastasis_ is one I haven't been able to conjure, it only happens when I'm badly wounded on an automatic basis. 

Even so, as I aim my hand at a line of trees and start rapidly firing off a volley of _Solar Bolts,_ I feel my Grimoire basically pulsing with mana, begging me to push my limits and unlock the new spell. _Maybe I should put myself in some life-threatening situation, that's worked before,_ I think foolishly to myself. Of course I can't do that. All I can do is get stronger now and hope something manifests during the next fight.

Soon, I decide to take a break, and I walk over to the trees I've been shooting at. The gouges my spell made are sealed up by the heat, but I was a bit sloppy. _Dammit... Julius could rewind it back to normal if he were here. I wonder why he's been acting so strange lately-_

All the sudden, I become aware of someone's magic nearby. I tense up for a moment, but don't sense any malice, so I slowly turn to glare at the other side of the clearing. There's a bank of bushes there, perfect for hiding in. _I wonder who's watching me..._ I think, my eyes narrowing as I get an idea. I raise my hand at the bush, and without any warning fire a blue shot right into the bush.

"AH!"  
"AieeeE!"

Two beings, one normal sized and one small, leap out of the bush just in time to avoid the attack. The bush is blasted into smithereens, and I finally get a good look at the peeping tom.

"... Yuno? You were spying on me?"

The black-haired boy stands up awkwardly, avoiding my eyes. "I was... training. I didn't think I would meet anyone else out here, though-"

"How dare you?! Shooting at Yuno and I?! What if you actually hurt us, lady?!"

Yuno winces at the high-pitched voice of his Sylph companion. "Bell... show some respect, please-"

Out of all the things that could have happened today, I didn't expect one of them to be me getting chewed out by one of the four great spirits. "I'm sorry, I didn't know if you were an enemy or not," I tell them, walking over and looking between the two of them. "Are you really one of the spirits? You're so small..."

"Yes I am!!" Bell huffs. "Who do you think-"

"Bell." Yuno pushes her into his pocket to silence her before looking over at me. "I'm sorry, we didn't mean to startle you. We'll leave you alone now."

"Wait!" I hold up my hands before they can run off. "Er, you're training too, right? Why don't you stay and train with me?" I haven't had much of a chance to get to know Yuno yet, and it would be great to see how much his magic has grown since the exam. I got a taste of it at the volcano.

Yuno blinks, then slowly nods. "...sure."

And so, the rest of the day goes by pretty quickly without any more unexpected visitors. I make Yuno and Bell show me a bunch of their spells so I can "evaluate them," although I _really_ just want to see them. Each one is more spectacular than the rest, and each one leaves me slack jawed by the end of it. I've never seen wind magic that was this powerful- shit, I haven't seen much _magic_ that was this powerful. I shoot some attacks at him for him to deflect, speeding them up one by one to test his reflexes. I _really_ wish I had a flight spell, that way I could take to the air with him for some sparring. Unfortunately, that's not to be, and evening comes upon us quick.

"I assume you're training for the Royal Knights Exam?" I ask as we walk back to civilization. The Golden Dawn's base isn't too far away, either. 

"Yeah." Yuno isn't the most talkative boy but he seems to have relaxed since our eventful meeting earlier. "Do you know what it'll be like?"

"No... Julius- er, the Wizard King hasn't told me anything," I reply. "I'm sure it'll be difficult... but you're pretty powerful. You impressed me, Yuno."

Despite the praise, Yuno's expression tightens. "...it's not enough."

"... hm?"

"I need to be able to beat Asta," he explains, shaking his head slightly. "He's been growing as much as I have... but I have to win against him."

I smile a little at the resolve in his voice. "You two are rivals, I take it?"

"Yeah. Ever since we were kids." Yuno smiles at the memory. "One day..." His gaze rises back to look ahead. "One of us will become the Wizard King."

_... I've heard that one before._

Later that night, I'm laying in bed reading by the time Julius gets home. "Good evening," he greets happily, seeming to be in a good mood as he leans down to kiss my cheek. "How did training go?"

"Good..." I close my book at look at him suspiciously. "What have you been up to?"

"Oh you know, the usual." His answer is sort of dismissive, and it hurts a little. I just shrug and get back to my book as he goes to take a shower and get ready for bed. It's not long before his arms are snaking around me, silently suggesting that I put the book away and pay attention to him. That's rich, coming from someone who's barely around anymore. But I obey as usual, discarding the book and turning into his embrace. Julius smiles happily and holds me tight, his warm touch calming me down a bit as we cuddle. _At least he's still being affectionate... one moment he's nowhere to be found, and the next moment he's all clingy?_

"Julius?"

"Yes, sweetness?"

"...are you alright?"

"I'm fine." His brow furrows with worry. "Why do you ask?"

"...nothing. I'm just being silly."

* * *

Yuno shows up again the next day, and the next, and the next. His determination grows each time, and we try to push his powers farther every day. We talk about the strange power Asta was using the other day, and how Yuno can upgrade to something similar. "He had that anti-magic flowing through his entire body... I wonder if there's a way to have Bell's spirit magic flow through _my_ body?"

Bell is eager to try it, but all she really manages to do is set off more spirit-based attacks. Nothing about _Yuno_ has changed.

"Hmm..." I sit down on a rock to think about it while Yuno paces around doing the same thing. Then, an idea comes to me. "Yuno... I've been able to share magic before."

"Hmm? How?" Yuno is immediately interested in his usual muted way, and he walks over to listen.

"Well... you've probably noticed..." I open my palm and summon a small globe of frozen time. "I can use time magic in addition to my flame magic."

"That's the Wizard King's magic, isn't it?" Yuno's eyes narrow a little. "How did that happen?"

"You see, I can amplify my magic as well as someone else's by using ancient magic... contained in my mark." That's the simplest way to explain it, anyway. "I did that with Julius a long time ago. For a moment, we became one person with one type of extremely powerful magic. The time magic I use now is a remnant of that." Fun fact: Julius can actually use my flame magic as well, but he only does it rarely. Why would he bother when he has his extremely powerful time magic. "I can't help but wonder... You and Bell are contracted together for life, aren't you? Maybe that bond runs deeper than you know... and maybe you can also share your magic like that."

Bell's eyes widen a little at the idea, and she glances up at Yuno. "...we should at least try. It's been millennia since I made a contract with someone, but that idea sounds kind of familiar..."

Yuno opens his grimoire, mana emanating from it densely. I stand back and watch as Bell flies over the book, closing her eyes and letting her own mana resonate with Yuno's.

_Resonate... that's what Julius and I did. And slowly, the waves of our mana..._

The waves of Yuno and Bell's mana start to overlap, rippling together until it's hard to tell which one is which. Bell squeezes her arms with her hands, hugging herself. "Y-Yuno-" she stutters. "I think it's working!"

Yuno nods, then closes his eyes as well.

All of the sudden, Bell dissolves away with a squeal, and Yuno basically explodes with Mana. I have to steady myself as the wind rips around his body, one of his arms glowing bright green. Around his head, a fluorescent green half-crow bursts to life, and one bright wing emerges from his back. My eyes widen at the spectacle as he finally opens his eyes, stunned at the power he suddenly has.

_Spirit Dive._

For the first time since I've met him, a smile grows on his face. I smile right back. 

_He did it!_

It hurts that I can only watch from here as he rises off the ground, flexing his glowing arm. He's really become one with a spirit, something I have never seen before. I clench my fist as I stare up at him, suddenly feeling the great urge to start sparring with him right now. But I can't take off with Flaming Condor; he would surely knock me right down. 

After floating there for a while and maintaining his form, Yuno finally drops to the ground, the glow fading as fast as it came. But even as Bell reappears and the spell disappears, leaving Yuno the same as he was before...

_I feel like I'm in the presence of the Wizard King._

"...wow..." I break into a grin and run over to him. "That was absolutely amazing! If you practice with that for a while... I'm sure you'll do great at the exam!" Not that he wasn't going to do great before, but everyone is going to be absolutely floored.

"Thank you," he says, his voice still quiet even after that display of power. He still has a little smile on his face. "I'm glad you told me about your power... I don't know if I would have thought of this myself."

"I'm sure you would have," I assure him. "All that training must have made you hungry... I brought some lunch to share if you want."

"... oh. Thank you."

Yuno and I eat in silence for a while, still thinking about what just happened. That power was so strong, it was almost scary, but magnificent at the same time. I glance over at the boy as he munches away, tearing off a piece of his sandwich to give Bell. _He's really a peasant? I guess great power can come from anywhere... both you and Asta keep pushing each other to your limits, I suppose._

"This is good," Yuno suddenly says as he stuffs the rest of the sandwich in his mouth in a fashion typical of a teenage boy. "You made these? I thought you would have servants, living in the castle."

"I do... I just like to cook stuff on my own. I've been practicing a lot lately." I frown, starting to feel a little sad. "I want to cook for Julius, too... but he's never around at mealtimes."

I don't notice, but that seems to catch Yuno's attention. "...he's never around?"

"No..." I shake my head. "I've hardly seen him in the past week. He's always liked to run off and explore, but this is ridiculous... I can't help but feel like there's something wrong."

We sit in silence for a moment, and I wonder if I've shared too much and made things awkward. "Sorry, anyway-"

"I know what he's been doing."

It takes me a moment to realize what Yuno is saying, and I look up to see a strange emotion in his eyes. It's a look that tells me _I have no idea how to begin to explain this to you._

After a moment, I suck in a breath, my heart pounding. "...what's he been doing?"

I assume the worse. Is Julius doing something illegal? I don't even want to think about the possibility of him cheating on me-

Yuno suddenly squeezes his eyes shut and blurts out the truth.

"He's been secretly raising an injured baby flame boar and is forcing me to help!"

...

_..._

**_what?_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What?! So THAT's what Julius has been doing all this time?! Find out what happens next in chapter 80: the baby boar.
> 
> If you can't tell, yes, the next chapter is partially based on another light novel chapter!


	80. the baby boar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The long-awaited Graham chapter! Based on the light novel called "the book of Yuno." I left out some of the stuff from the overarching "plot" of the novel so it made more sense lol

"The boar's name is Graham. Lord Julius found him after his parents were killed by bandits. After burying the bodies, Graham wouldn't leave their sides and was helpless and wounded. So... he's raising it until it's wounds are healed."

Yuno explains the full situation to me the next day as we fly over the trees on his wind. He made me promise not to mention it to Julius before today, but I really need to see this bizarre happening for myself. It was hard to keep quiet last night when Julius came home, and this time I actually noticed the dirt on his boots and red marks on his hands. Last night was rough for me, so I didn't feel like confronting him about it. Miraculously, I got a bad stomach cramp just before going to bed, one that was _definitely_ not because of hunger. _These cramps... they can't be period cramps, are they? I think I used to get these right before my period came, but that was_ years _ago..._ However, I don't have time to think of it today. We have a boar-based crisis on our hands.

"We ran into him a while ago while training, and we got roped into helping him. Captain Charlotte and Captain Jack are involved, too," Yuno finishes. "He didn't want anyone else to know because it's actually illegal to care for a dangerous animal like a flame boar, and also it would look really bad." He looks over and is surprised to see me smiling. 

"Actually... that's adorable." Yuno and Bell exchange a glance, and I clear my throat. "I mean- It would be bad if Marx found out about it, I can imagine that he'll chew Julius out."

"I'll say!" Bell pipes up. "This is what happens when a middle-aged man with no kids and too much money gets bored!"

"Bell, shut up."

We finally land on the bank of a lake, out in the middle on nowhere. I get on my feet and look around, spotting the shack Yuno told me about earlier. However, it looks like about half of it is collapsed in, destroyed by some strong force. Yuno pales at the sight. "Oh no... this can't be happening!" He runs over, Bell flitting around right behind. It takes me a moment to realize that something is gravely wrong. "Yuno? What is it?"

"Someone destroyed the shed and-" We both freeze as we turn the corner and see that ground has been dug up, revealing two furry bodies. "... those are the parents that Lord Julius buried!" Yuno's cool demeanor is cracking quickly, and he cups his hand over his mouth and yells "Graham! GRAHAM!"

There's no reaction, and I can't look away from the destroyed graves. "...who did this?"

"Bandits, probably..."

"Yuno, what do we do?" Bell asks meekly.

Yuno takes a deep breath, calming himself down. "Graham was alive, there's no blood. So... the bandits kidnapped him." _Kidnapped?_ Despite how he was acting before, Yuno seems to have grown quite fond of the baby boar. "He might still be alive." 

"Yuno! There you are! I had to follow you all the way out here- Huh, why are _you_ here?!"

Uh oh. We turn around to see none other than Marx come to a landing on his broom. "You followed me?" Yuno asks, his eyes narrowing. I guess he and Marx met in the city before he came to pick me up.

"You ran off so quickly, what was I supposed to do?" Marx walks over, looking confused. "What's going on here, exactly?"

"Never mind, I'll tell you about it later. Can you contact the Wizard King for me?"

Marx gapes at the boy as he's ordered around, looking at me for backup. "W-what?! Julius is involved in this?"

"Marx, just do it, this is serious," I tell him grimly. I haven't even seen this baby boar but it seems like Julius has put lots of hours into caring for it. "There's a life at stake."

"...whatever you say! There better be a good reason for this, though!" Marx grumbled and waved his hand to throw up a screen. For once, Julius doesn't have the spell blocked, and his face appears before us, surprised after he recognizes the three of us. "Julius! Yuno from the Golden Dawn wants to talk to you."

"Huh, Yuno? Wait, why are all three of you together-"

"Sir, Graham's been kidnapped, and the shack was destroyed," Yuno cuts him off boldly. Julius's face immediately pales as if he'd heard that his own child had been taken. "We don't know where he is, but I think he's alive."

"I see..." Julius finally says, his expression hardening again. "Right. They might be the stragglers of the bandits Mereoleona and the Crimson Lions have been tracking this week. They captured most of them and flushed the others up towards the lake. In that case, if you head northwest, you should run into them."

"Got it."

"I'm going to call Charlotte and Jack as well."

Marx just stands there, stunned, his mind racing in circles to make sense of all of this. Julius notices and winces. "I'm sorry I kept this from you two..."

"It's alright," I assure him before Marx can scold him. There will be time for that later. "I can't say this isn't bizarre, but we're going to save Graham!"

Julius smiles proudly when he hears my statement. "Good... I can't wait for you to meet him!"

And so, before too long, what started as a low-key visit to the lake has turned into a huge, two-squad operation to save a baby flame boar. We meet up with the other squads and manage to track down the bandits, surrounding them quickly at their forest camp. Jack cuts down the trees sheltering them with his blades, and it's not long before we find the bandit ringleader, who has a squealing bag tied to the shaft of his broom. "You little brat, you saw me bringing food for that boar?" Jack sneered at Yuno once he landed. Charlotte was glaring and muttering the same thing. _I guess Yuno's been spying on them, too..._ I think, not noticing that we're all getting a little too comfortable with the fact that we have the bandit surrounded. "Guys, can we just rescue this boar so I can go home," I ask them, pointing over at the bandit, who has started to curl up over his chest like he's in pain. "He looks like he's about to do something."

Yuno and the others look over just in time to see the bandit start to glow white. "Oh, shit!" Yuno uncharacteristically curses. "He's about to go berserk!"

I've heard of cornered animals going crazy before, and that must be exactly what's going on here. The boar in the bag starts squealing, sensing the immense magic right above it about to burst out. "Everyone, stop him! Don't let him hurt Graham!" Yuno commands, and he and Bell take off without any hesitation. Just as he does so, a tangle of translucent tentacles burst out of the bandit's back, starting to tear up everything around it. _Ah! And Graham's right there!_ Without thinking, I start running as well, and the rest of the knights around us quickly descend down to defend Yuno against the attack.

"Yuno! Watch out!" Charlotte yells, her briars destroying one of the two tentacles about to hit the boy. The other is too fast, but a moment later I race up to it and deflect it with a swipe of my _blazing spear._ Yuno's eyes widen a little as he sees the close call, and I turn to yell at him. "Keep going! I'll protect you!"

And I do, to the best of my ability, as other magic rains down on the tentacles I miss. Yuno blasts the area ahead of him with wind, throwing the bandit back. "GAH!" More tentacles suddenly dig into the ground. Just before Yuno can grab Graham, everything is thrown up into the air in a cloud of soil and rock. But I can hear the boar squealing loudly, and I look up to see him flying towards the ground. 

_No! He's going to die if he hits the ground!_

Not realizing the sudden burst of mana from my Grimoire, I jump without thinking and catch the bag in my arms. "Gotcha!" I expect to fall back to where I was standing before, but... I don't. "...huh?"

My Grimoire is open in front of me, flipped open to a brand new page, the writing still being burnt onto it. I look down to see that I'm floating high above the ground. Somehow, I managed to jump this high, and now I'm suspended?

 _No... I_ flew _up here!_

Small, flaming wings have sprouted from my ankles and elbows, flapping quickly like a hummingbird. I really did it, I manifested a new spell! I would be ecctatic, but now I have to find a way back down-

"Look out!" Yuno's yell catches my attention, and I spot a tentacle racing towards me. "Ah!" I tighten my grip around Graham in his bag, not sure how to evade quite yet. Yuno assists me, blasting me with air and blowing me out of the way just in time. It sends me rolling head over heels, and I scream as I hug the bag close to my chest. "Yuno! Don't kill me!" Slowly but surely, I'm gliding towards the ground, but I'm basically a feather being blown around helplessly by the wind. Before long, another set of tentacles shoot at me, but Yuno and the others don't act quite quick enough.

"Ahh!" I scream, bracing Graham and I for impact and readying my spear, but for the most part completely defenseless against this attack-

_"Time Binding Magic: Chrono Stasis!"_

Everything in the area freezes at once, moments before impact. Slowly but surely, the frozen area shrinks, then releases to only trap the bandit leader. My spell dissipates, and I expect to fall straight to the ground, but I'm surprised as a pair of arms gently catch me bridal style.

"Look like I didn't have to freeze the whole area... but I was afraid the tentacles wouldn't disappear if I just froze him..."

Like usual, Julius has arrived to save the day at the very last minute, and he glides gracefully to the ground as Graham starts squealing in my arms once again. "Sorry I'm late, everyone!"

"Everyone" is now sitting on the ground after being dropped out of his frozen time, and are now all glaring silently up at the man who caused this whole debacle in the first place. Yuno is still getting over his shock, staring up at Julius. Julius gets his footing before quickly letting me down. "Are you alright?"

I nod quickly, still a bit shaken from the near-death experience, hugging the boar more to comfort myself than anything else. "yeah... Yuno, you okay?" We both turn to look at the boy, who just nods slowly in response. Julius smiles and goes to offer him his hand. "Thank you, Yuno."

The look in Yuno's eyes reminds me of Asta's, when Asta first saw Julius's true power. His magic wasn't just strong; it was precise and matured, pushed almost past its full potential. It was awe-inspiring, and a little bit scary at the same time. It was the power of the Wizard King, and proved the gap between the two of them was larger than Yuno could imagine.

And yet, Yuno doesn't take his hand, and stands up on his own. "I'm fine."

"Oh..." Julius smiles and retracts his hand. "Looks like you don't need my help after all."

_That sounds familiar..._

The bag in my arms starts to squirm and Graham lets out a loud squeal at the sound of Julius's voice. "Ah, Graham! Let him out!" Julius pleads, running back over to me. I quickly obey, and the small (and admittedly cute) baby boar runs right into his arms. "Graham! I was so worried about you! It's over now, no need to be scared, papa's here!"

All of us stare in shock at the sight of this new side of Julius. He cuddles the big baby in his arms, petting him rapidly as he talks in the same way you would talk to a toddler. There's even tears in his eyes from the relief that his boar-son is alive and mostly unscathed... It's clear now that the hours Julius put into caring for Graham were not out of guilt or obligation. They were out of love.

The sight pulls at something in my heart, and I almost want to cry, too.

* * *

Many hours later, the saga of Graham comes to an end. This whole event made Julius realize that Graham shouldn't stay near humans any more, and it was time to release him back into the wild. Mereoleona catches up to us and takes us (Julius, Graham, Mereo, Yuno, Bell, and Marx) to check out some clearings out in the wilderness, where Graham can grow on his own in safety from humans. We're sitting at once of these meadows now, Graham sniffing softly as I pet his head. "I was going to tell you eventually, I wanted you to meet him when he was ready to see more humans," Julius explains, watching us with admiration in his eyes. "I'm sorry this has to be the end... but I'm glad he likes you."

"I was wondering why you were gone all the time," I admit, looking up at him. "It had me a little worried, you seemed so distant."

Julius immediately gets that guilty look. "What?! I'm so sorry, that wasn't my intention at all-" He stops once he hears me giggle. "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"You better!" I send him a wink. Yuno and Bell exchange a slightly-disgusted glance.

"Okay, this is the one." We look up suddenly as Mereo comes walking back. "Let him go."

"...huh?! Wait, this is all happening so fast!" Julius sounds distressed as he jumps to his feet. "Are you sure?"

Mereo nods. "There's plenty of resources here, he'll be safer here than the other places we visited."

"Right... I guess then..."

Julius sadly picks up Graham one last time and looks him in the eyes. The rest of us stand back, all feeling pretty shitty about this except for Mereoleona. But it was inevitable...

Goodbyes are always inevitable.

"Grow up big and strong, okay, Graham? Daddy's always thinking of you..." Julius really and truly looks like he's about to burst into tears. "Just remember... I've always thought of you as my own child."

_My own child..._

With that, he puts Graham down and backs up, not really knowing what to do next. Graham just stands there, squealing softly in confusion. "What do I do now?"

"I guess I can scare him away!" Mereoleona suggests, stepping forward. We all jump to stop her, but freeze when we hear a rustling from the edge of the meadow. Graham looks over just as three new boars, which seem to be about his age, appear, looking at him curiously. Graham walks over, sniffing them. After a moment, the four of them turn and disappear into the woods without even glancing back at us.

Julius lets out the breath he was holding, and I notice his hands trembling a little. I quickly move to his side, taking his hand and rubbing his arm gently. "I'm sorry, Julius..."

"Don't be. This is the way it should be." With another deep breath, he conjures up a smile. "He'll be safe here... and I think he'll remember me."

After saying goodbye to the others, we head back to the castle, Marx chewing Julius's ear off the whole way. "Now, I'm going to go prepare your work for the evening. Don't get distracted!" Marx tells him before turning and stomping off into the castle, leaving us standing there on the steps. I'm about to follow, but look back to see Julius standing still, staring out at the kingdom with a strange look on his face.

"Julius? You okay?"

"Yeah..." His voice trails off a bit, before he shakes his head. "I'm just already missing Graham, you know?"

I nod, watching him carefully for a few moments longer.

 _He really cared about Graham... but it was also his chance to be a father, if not just for a short time..._ Some long-forgotten guilt starts to well up inside me, but I beat it back down. _Remember... there's still hope. Maybe it's false hope, but it's hope none the less. And... well... maybe it's time that we do something about it. In fact..._

"Julius... I want to get married."

That catches him off-guard. "Huh? Er, darling-" He laughs awkwardly. "Don't you remember? We were planning the wedding just the other day-"

"No, I mean-" I suck in a breath. "I want to get married _now._ Tonight."

He opens his mouth, but no words come out. "...tonight?" He blinks, the meaning starting to sink it. "But, the wedding, it's not ready yet, and on such short notice-"

"We can still have the ceremony later." I can't help but grin as I grab his hands, my eyes shining with excitement. "But I don't want to wait any longer. I want to be your wife, Julius. So let's find someone to do it legally, tonight!"

Slowly, the same excitement becomes reflected in his eyes. "... alright... we're getting married... right now!" He breaks into a grin and pulls me in for a quick kiss. "You're full of surprises as usual."

"Good surprises, though," I remind him, giggling as I start to pull him back through the door. I can't imagine how Marx is going to react when we tell him that we're eloping, but I'm sure he'll be happy to help get everything done. "Come on! The night's still young."

Indeed, it is, and by the end of it, we'll be married. A lot sooner than expected, but sometimes... you have to welcome the unexpected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's been a change of plans! Next time, chapter 81: the wedding.


	81. the wedding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I hope this chapter is good... I feel like there was a lot leading up to it. I even cried a little. Enjoy!
> 
> 2\. Maybe this is also a good time to say that I'm so thankful to have so many active, returning readers. Even if you don't comment all the time, I see you! To those of you who DO comment frequently, I couldn't write so much without you. I love all you guys, thank you so much <3

"Marx, I know this sounds crazy and I know you just said that we shouldn't get distracted, but we just talked and decided that we're going to elope tonight. Don't worry! We'll still have the big ceremony later, but we want you to perform the legal wedding right now. Is that alright?"

Marx looks like he just short-circuited after Julius unloads the plan onto him. We caught up to him in the office after picking up the paperwork we needed. The legal side of a wedding only involves two consenting adults, a witness, and a short "ceremony" which is recited from a script. It's really not much to ask, but we definitely caught Marx completely unaware.

"...uh..." He finally opens his mouth to speak, coming to his senses. "Y-You can't just spring this on me! I haven't had any time to prepare, you still have so much work to do tonight (although I suppose this takes precedent), but-" Marx bites his lip nervously. "Are you sure you want _me_ to do it? Not a priest?"

"Marx," I take his hand, offering a comforting smile. "You're our best friend. I don't want it any other way."

Marx's eyes immediately start to water, and he slowly nods as I give his hand a squeeze. Julius pats him on the back. "It means a lot to us, Marx."

"It means a lot to me, too..." Marx wipes his eyes with his free hand, desperately trying to compose himself. "I'm... your best friend?"

"Well, yeah. We spend almost every moment of every day together," I remind him. "We couldn't run this Kingdom without you. Not just you as an advisor, but as a friend."

Slowly, Marx nods, sniffing away his last few tears before giving us a genuine smile. "Alright... it would be my honor. BUT-" His sharp tone is finally back and he points an accusing finger at the two of us. "You both are filthy from all your exploits today. I will _not_ allow you to get married looking like that, Julius! As for you-" He turns to me. "I'm sure you have some white clothes somewhere... if I'm going to allow this elopement, which is _unheard_ of, by the way, you better look like a bride. Not to say you aren't beautiful as is-" He clears his throat. "But you just made me in charge, so I'm going to make this at least a little bit more official. Be back here in an hour!"

"...yes Marx."

With that, we run off to get ready. "Oops, I'm not supposed to see the bride before the wedding, remember?" Julius teases, poking fun at Marx's planned "official elopement." "Maybe you should go change somewhere else."

"I'll use a guest room," I agree, giving him a kiss on the cheek before I grab some clothes out of my closet. "I'll see you at the alter~"

I run off to one of the guest rooms down the hall, shedding my dirty clothes and jumping in the shower. While I'm cleaning myself, another thought occurs to me. _Marx should be able to do it quickly... and I have to pay off that favor, anyway! I'm sure Julius would want to have a best man, anyway!_

When I'm done drying myself off and evaporating the water from my hair, I quickly pull on the clothes I brought over with me. I haven't bought my official wedding dress yet, so I end up wearing just my usual uniform dress, but with a white top. I leave the jacket off, since it's blue and doesn't really fit the bridal theme. _I wish I had a veil, but there's not enough time._ My gold clover earrings, an old Three-Leaf Day present, are the finishing touches, and I smile for a moment at my reflection, the excitement of the moment setting in for real. _I'm really getting married... I'm getting married!_

"Marx! There you are!" 20 minutes after we parted, I find him again in the hall outside the office. He closes out a communication screen before turning to me, his eyes widening a little. "See? Just a little white, and you're really looking like a bride," he compliments with a smile. "What is it?"

"Marx, I need to you make a call..." I gulp nervously, hoping his doesn't object. "You want this to be more official, right? Well..." I give him a grin. "You can't have a wedding without a few guests, right?"

"... I see."

A few seconds later, and Yami's face is looking out at me from Marx's screen. "Yo. What'ya want?" he asks gruffly, his eyes wandering over my clothes. "Did you decide to become a nurse?"

"What? No-" I shake my head. "Yami, is everyone there with you?"

"Hmm? Yeah, I think so." He takes a drag of his cigarette. "Don't tell me it's a mission."

I can't help but giggle a little out of excitement. "No, no mission... you see, I still owe you guys for finding the potion that cured that curse I had a couple weeks ago," I tell him, noticing that some of the other Black Bulls were clustered behind him, peering in to see what was happening. "And... well... how would you guys like to attend a wedding?"

Yami's eyes widen and a couple people behind him gasp. "You're kidding, you're getting married _now!?"_ He chuckles at the idea. "Of course you are, you two are crazy enough to elope, after all..."

"Yeah, but we wanted to make it a little more special," I tell him, glad that he seems into the idea. "So? Can you all be here in 30 minutes?"

"We'll have some food and beverages afterwards," Marx adds, surprising me a little. "I already arranged for it... a few more guests shouldn't hurt!"

"Food?!" Charmy exclaims.

"Beverages?!" Vanessa follows.

"Hell yeah, we'll be there," Yami decides, prompting a cheer from his squad. "FINRAL! Get ready to transport us there!"

"Yes sir!"

"Wait, wait!" A familiar voice suddenly pipes up. I see Asta trying to jump and be seen through the screen, his hand raised. "I have a question!"

"Go ahead!"

He stops jumping and blinks. "...who are you getting married to?"

"ASTA!" everyone yells, and a blast of water suddenly hits him and sends him tumbling off screen. I hear Noelle's voice a moment later. "How dumb can you be?! Haven't you been paying ANY attention!?"

I exchange a nervous glance with Marx before turning back to the screen. "Well, in any case, you're all invited. Don't tell anyone else though, we don't want the whole kingdom to know!"

"Alright. See you soon."

Just as promised, the most unlikely wedding guests arrive at the castle, greeted by Marx, who's currently communicating with Julius. "We've had a change of plans. We'll have the wedding in the great hall if it's not being used already," he explains to Julius.

"Oh, why? That's fine though. And-" Julius frowns and looks behind Marx. "Yami? Is that you?'

"You weren't seriously going to get married without inviting me, right?" Yami tells him accusingly. "Anyway, you owe us a big favor for saving your bride-to-be."

After a moment, Julius smiles brightly and lets out a good-natured laugh. "I see, I see... very well. I'm actually glad you're here, Yami. It's a special day."

"Right." Marx closes the spell before looking at the group shuffling behind him, whispering among each other. Luck is looking around excitedly, probably thinking about how awesome it would be to have a fight inside this castle. _I sure hope they behave themselves..._ "Er, Yami, where did the girls go?"

"They wanted to go see the bride," Yami tells him shortly. "Come on, let's get moving, Mushroom Head."

"That's not my name!"

Meanwhile, four girls corner me in the sitting room I've been waiting in and immediately start fawning over me.

"I can't believe you two are finally getting married," Noelle says, her eyes wide as she looks at me. "It must feel like a fairy tale."

"I suppose it does!" I smile at the four of them, tapping my foot a little nervously. Even though this is a very casual occasion, I can't help but get those pre-nup nerves. "Do you ever imagine your own wedding, Noelle?"

Noelle immediately turns bright red. "N-N-No, I definitely do not! I don't think about it at all!"

_Hmm, reminds me of Charlotte._

"Hey, what kind of food is going to be at the reception?" Charmy asks, already munching on a piece of bread.

"Er, I'm not sure actually, Marx is the one who handled that." I'm really impressed the Marx put this all together in such a short time, and also touched. _He put in so much work today... he really is a great friend._

"You look so beautiful," Vanessa tells me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. She actually seems sober for once. "You're glowing like a bride should be."

"Oh, Vanessa..." I don't really know what to say, but she just gives me a wink. "Grey has a present for you, actually. Grey?"

The timid girl steps forward, her hands shaking, and I see that she's holding a bunch of small rocks. I'm about to ask what that's about when she suddenly opens her Grimoire and squeezes her eyes shut. "Transformation Magic: Rocks to Flowers!" Instantly, the rocks change their shape int a bundle of beautifully delicate blue flowers. But it doesn't end there. Vanessa giggles and raises her own hand, allowing a tangle of thread to shoot out and form a cloud around the flowers. Two seconds later, the cloud floats over and attaches to my head, forming a veil. "There! We noticed you didn't have one, so we brought some supplies to make one ourselves!"

I quickly run over to the nearest mirror and my breath catches in my throat. If I resembled a bride before, I truly feel like one now. "Guys... I don't know what to say..."

Vanessa's face suddenly falls when I turn back to look at them. "Oh, don't cry!" All at once, I feel four pairs of arms wrap around me as tears pour down my face. "There, there... this must be emotional for you, huh, young lady?" Charmy asks, patting my leg which is as high as she can reach.

"I-I'm twenty six," I remind her, sniffing as I try to blink away the tears. "I never dared to hope this day would come... it always seemed that something would come to end it all at once. But now, it's actually happening..." I raise my head to look at them, managing to smile.

"I never thought it was possible to feel this happy!"

"You're going to be so happy together, I know it!" Noelle tells me, a smile on her face as well.

"I-I-I wish y-you two all the luck in the w-w-orld!" Grey stutters, blushing.

Their assurances make me feel a little less emotional, and we step back from each other. "Right. I don't want to be crying at the alter! That's Julius's job." The girls giggle as I wipe off my face. Vanessa hands me a handkerchief and soon there's no evidence that I was ever crying. With a deep breath, I check the time. The end of the hour is approaching. "Alright... it's time, guys."

Vanessa and Noelle hold my shaking hands and Grey and Charmy trail behind as we make our way to the great hall. On an evening like this, this part of the castle is mostly abandoned, which is to our benefit. I wouldn't want any royals or nobles walking by to see our strange gathering at this time. It dawns on me that, now, Augustus won't be present at my wedding, even if he doesn't know it. The big ceremony will be just for show, and I know in my heart that _tonight_ is my real wedding.

The doors swing open to reveal the hall, and everyone immediately looks over, all eyes on me. My heart pounds in my chest as I look at the front of the room, where Julius and Marx are standing with Yami beside them. Julius exchanged the red robe for a much lighter blue cape, fasted across his chest with a gold flowered brooch. He looks too handsome and dashing to believe, but as I lock eyes with him, I feel my nervousness disappear entirely. His eyes widen and his mouth opens wordlessly. Yami grins and gives him a pat on the back, retreating to stand with the others on either side of Julius. Vanessa gives my hand a squeeze before doing the same with the other girls, leaving me to make the rest of the walk alone.

Julius immediately takes my hands as I approach, pulling me closer. His eyes are watering but he's holding it together, and I'm glad I got my cry out earlier. "You look... absolutely stunning," he whispers before suddenly leaning in and giving me a kiss. 

"JULIUS! YOU DO THAT _LAST,_ REMEMBER?!" Marx objects, causing everyone in the room to laugh.

"Oh, oops!" Julius and I giggle at each other before turning to face Marx. The kiss seems to have dissolved most of the tension in the room, and Marx looks like he's ready to do this without any hiccups.

"Alright then." He clears his throat and unfurls the document we gave him earlier. We already signed our names on the lines below, and all that's left is for Marx to recite the ceremony to activate the spell that signs the name for the witness. It's a neat concept, using magic to literally seal the relationship between two people, but that's not what I'm thinking about as he starts to read through the "spell." I can hardly hear him over the beating of my heart and the sensation of Julius's hand in mind. I keep stealing glances at him, and he gives me a goofy smile every time we catch eyes. I have to bite my lip to keep from laughing. _This is absurd! I'm marrying the Wizard King- no-_ eloping _with the Wizard King, and the guests at our wedding are none other than the Black Bulls! I wouldn't want it any other way._

Marx pulls me from my thoughts as he says my name. "Do you take this man to be your husband?"

"I do!" I blurt out, probably a little faster that I meant to. I hear Yami and some of the others snicker at me, and I want nothing more to turn and glare, but I resist the temptation.

Marx just shakes his head with a smile before turning to Julius. "Julius Novachrono... do you take this woman to be your wife?"

I look up into his eyes, seeing that they're twinkling with excitement. "I do," Julius replies calmly, despite his expression.

"With the power entrusted with me by the Royal Family and the Clover Kingdom-" Marx lets go of the document as it starts to glow, floating in front of us all. "I pronounce you man and wife... Lord and Lady Novachrono!"

With that, his signature magically appears on the paper, and the spell is sealed... we're married.

Julius is my husband. 

Marx smiles and gives Julius a pointed look. " _Now,_ you may kiss the bride."

Julius wastes no time in doing so, his lips meeting mine in a passionate kiss as Yami and the others start to clap and cheer, someone (probably Magna) lets out a whistle. Luck laughs and claps his hands, yet looks a little bored and out of place at a wedding. Noelle keeps stealing glances over at Asta, who looks more stunned than anything as he claps. It must be weird to see a public figure like the Wizard King be so affectionate towards someone, but he's really just a man. He's allowed to be affectionate, as long as it doesn't effect his duty towards the Kingdom.

Finally, Julius pulls back just enough to gaze down into my eyes, one hand wrapped around me while the other still holds my hand. "Nice to meet you, Lady Novachrono~" he teases, but his eyes are full of more genuine joy than I've ever seen before. I just giggle and lean back into his lips, before we both turn to face the others. Julius gestures at me in a way that says _Can you guys believe this?!_ The others laugh a little and cheer again, before Charmy reminds us of the most important part of all of this: "Now, can we all go eat?"

"Certainly! Marx?" 

"Right this way!" 

I wasn't present for the recent captains' dinner party, but something tells me that our wedding reception is a lot less stressful and unpleasant, especially for Marx. Maybe it's the fact that it's a _wedding,_ not a meeting, or maybe it's just because the Black Bulls make much better and fun guests. Either way, Marx seems to be pleased as he sits down to talk and eat with everyone. Vanessa squeals when she sees the wine, and Charmy is already appropriating a large plate of food for herself. Yami yells at Magna and Luck to stop chasing each other around and sit down, but Julius just laughs it off. "It's fine, your squad is so full of life, Yami... I'm really impressed with you all."

Everyone falls quiet at the sound of his voice before chorusing "Thank you, sir!"

Gauche and Gordon approach our seats at the head of the table. Gordon mumbles something very quietly, but I do pick up on one word. "Gifts? Oh you guys didn't have to get anything!" I assure them, but Gordon holds something out to me anyway. My eyes widen a bit in shock as I realize what it is.

It's two small, fabric dolls, vaguely resembling Julius and I's appearances. The dolls are attached to each other by one of their hands. It's a little creepy, but I guess it's the thought that counts? "Oh... thank you, Gordon!"

"What's this?" Julius looks over and pales a little at the sight. "What on earth-" I kick him lightly under the table to keep him from saying anything rude. "I mean- Wow! What wonderful gifts! Thank you!"

Gordon blushes at the praise and mumbles a _you're welcome_ before being pushed out of the way by Gauche. "I have a gift for you as well, sir," he tells us, lifting up a small wooden carving in the shape of a young girl. "This is my sister Marie... she is a gift to this whole world, and you are the only people worthy of owning a statue in her likeness."

... yes, the Black Bulls is an amazing squad and their members are full of life. But at the same time, they're the strangest people I've ever met.

"...thank you, Gauche."

"Ah, well, I think this all ended up going pretty well." Julius drapes his arm over my shoulder as I take a sip of my drink. "Perfect, in fact..." He sighs as his eyes wander to everyone at the table, who seemed to have relaxed. At first, they all seemed a little tense about having this meal with the Wizard King, but now everyone is laughing, chatting, even yelling. Yami catches my eye and gives me a smile from across the table as he smokes.

"I agree... I'm so happy right now, Julius." I lean my head on my shoulder, letting my eyes close for a moment to relish this feeling. It'll probably be back to business as usual tomorrow.

"So am I, my love." I feel Julius's lips press into my hair briefly before I'm torn from my peace by a familiar screaming.

"I want _my_ wedding to be just like this... I can't wait to go pick Sister Lily up for our marriage after I become the Wizard King!"

Uh oh. I open my eyes to see Asta talking loudly to the others through a mouth of half-chewed food. "Haha, isn't she a nun? You can't marry a nun, Asta!" Magna taunts him.

"What?! Why not?"

"How dumb are you? She's a sister of the cloth, Asta," Noelle tells him bitterly, obviously not enjoying this conversation one bit. "They swore to stay chaste and never get married."

"Huh? Is that true?" Asta blinks, obviously not sure what to make of that. But then, his gaze hardens. "Whatever! I'm not going to give up!"

"My, he's determined... I feel like he's fighting a losing battle," I giggle to Julius.

"Hmm? I don't think so at all," Julius replies, confusing me a little. "I mean... his determination has payed off before. I wouldn't be surprised if he managed to become Wizard King one day."

"Julius! I was talking about the _marrying a nun_ thing!"

"Oh! Yeah, in that case-" He cuts himself off as I start laughing at him again. "Hey! I'm not that out-of-touch!"

"Whatever you say," I tell him, giving him a wink. The simple motion puts that familiar glimmer in his eye, and he suddenly leans in to whisper in my ear.

"Hey... maybe we should... get out of here?"

I raise an eyebrow, his meaning clear. "Right now? Where would we go?"

Julius just chuckles and suddenly stands up, pulling me with him and catching everyone's attentions. "Alright... I hope you guys will stay and enjoy the reception, but sadly my _wife_ and I have to get going."

"Huh? Wait, you're leaving?!" Marx stands up quickly, looking confused. "Where are you going?"

"Where do you think?" Julius gives him a wink. "You wanted this to be an official wedding, right? We need to go on a honeymoon now."

I cover my mouth to keep from laughing as everyone else does so at Marx's expense. "HonEYMoON?! NOw?! Julius..." Marx's voice trails off as he comes to his senses, then lets out a sigh to release his frustration. "Alright then. But you better be back within two days!"

"Got it!" Julius grins as he looks down at everyone. "Thank you all for coming... you made today very special, and I'll never forget it. Please, stay as long as you'd like. Marx, you okay with that?"

Marx nods, stepping out of the way as Yami walks up to us. "Thanks for the invite... do I still have to come to the other wedding?"

Julius nods. "I'm afraid so, Yami." But Yami still smiles and shakes Julius's hand. "Good luck... and congratulations, you two." He even allows me to go in for a hug, glaring a little but enjoying it none the less. "I still don't get why you like this old man so much, but good for you," he teases. "Have fun. Just not too much fun."

"Isn't that the point of the honeymoon?" I shoot back with a chuckle.

"You two... stay safe. I'll see you in two-" Marx is cut off as we both pull him into a hug. "Julius! Get off me!"

We pull back to see that Marx's eyes are watering again with happy tears. "Thank you for everything, Marx," I tell him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll make sure we get back on time."

"Alright, thank you." Marx smiles and waves as he stands back.

"Well, now we can go. Goodbye everyone!" Julius scoops me up into bridal style in his arms without much warning. I wave back to the group one last time before holding on as Julius teleports away at the speed of light, holding me, his _wife,_ as close as he can.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time! The Honeymoon: Uh, what do you expect? MC tells Julius some heartening news.


	82. the honeymoon (***)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Yeah so uhhh there's some pretty explicut sex but also plot lol
> 
> 2\. Alternate title: MC accidentally reactivates the breeding kink 😳😳

A few seconds later, Julius gently lands back on the ground, and I blink as I get my bearings again. I instantly recognize where we are: Julius has decided to spend his honeymoon at our cabin, out in the woods near the border of the Heart Kingdom. It's a popular vacation spot for nobles, a lot more secluded than Raque. There's also amazing hotsprings near each cabin, which are usually seperated from their neighbors by a few acres of forest. Julius's family has owned this cabin for a long time, and now it's ours to enjoy. 

"Ah... finally, some peace and quiet!" Julius doesn't let me down as he makes his way to the front door, kicking it open a bit roughly. 

"Julius! Don't break anything."

"Only the bed, right?"

"!! Julius!"

He just cackles like he usually does before making his way straight to the bedroom, not bothering to close the door behind him since we're alone anyway. His lips are on mine before we even make it to the bed, and before I know it we're already tangled together in a heated furvor, kicking off shoes and pulling at our clothes. Julius sits up for just a few seconds to gaze down at me, claming down. "... I can't believe we're actually married..." he breathes, his hand stroking my face gently. "You've already made me such a happy man."

That makes me blush a little, and I close my eyes for a moment just to bask in his gaze. "Well... why don't you let me make you an even happier man?"

"You always know exactly what to say."

I bat his hands away when he tries to grab me again, and he gets the point, instead letting me help him pull all his own clothes off first. Our lips meet once again as I push him on his back, quickly trailing down his jaw and neck. Julius lets out a happy sound when my hand finds its way around his cock, starting to pump it slowly. "So, you think I'm going to let you have your way with me, then?"

"I know you are," I whisper back, letting my eyelashes bat open to give him a seductive look. "Is that alright with you?"

Julius just gives me a little nod, sliding his hands down my curves before letting me slip down between his legs. I don't waste any time in taking him in my mouth, sucking softly in the way I know drives him absolutely mad. His hands try to tug at my hair but I quickly grab his wrists and pin them next to his hips. I know that Julius is a strong man who could (and probably will) take over the moment he pleases, but for now he lets me tease his cock with my tongue, just moaning soft pleads for more. I gladly give him more, pushing myself past my limit until my nose keeps burying in the hair at the base of his cock.

But I don't let him get too close. He lets out a frusterated groan as I sit up and start stripping off my clothes as well, a coy smile on his face. "What now? You're going to ride me?"

I don't even need to answer that. He sits up a little before I climb on, his hands pulling me roughly down until his cock fills me up. My resolution wavers a little at the feeling, his strength as he starts to roll his hips, reminding me that he's really the one in charge. I let out a little whimper as he hits a sweet spot and bury my head in his shoulder. "Aww, you're tired~?" Julius teases lightly, stroking the back of my neck as he moves. "Or do I just make you that weak?" 

"Huh? No-" I try and sit back up and take control back, but his hands keep me immobilized as he thrusts his hips harder. "Ah~ Julius-"

"Don't push yourself too hard, darling, you know how much I love taking care of you," Julius croons in my ear. God damn it! Every time I try to take control, just a few words and he melts me back into a submissive mess. But that's how he likes taking me, and admittedly I like it too. "This feels so special, we're making love for the first time as husband and wife. You're going to be a good little wife for me, right?"

"Y-yes, I am," I moan back, already coming undone on his delicious cock. Julius's thrusts become harder and deeper at my words, obviously elevating the pleasure for him as well. "G-Good girl- then cum for me-" he requests, his lips catching onto my shoulder and nipping me gently. That's all he really has to say, and moments later I'm nearly fainting from the pleasure. Julius pulls me in to swallow my moans in his mouth, stifling his own once he starts to cum as well. We clutch at each other desperately, pressed together as close as we can, before finally coming down from the high.

Julius lets out a long, happy sigh before flopping over into bed, pulling me with him. I'm still barely catching my breath, and it doesn't help when we both start giggling. "Sorry. I always get so serious during these things, I probably sound really corny," he admits, his hands still tracing over my skin as we calm down.

"Corny? More like horny." Not a good joke, but he laughs anyway. "It's alright... I like it." I give him a sleepy smile over the covers. 

"Good, that's my intention." He lets out a big yawn. "Look at me, I'm already tired? What is this?" 

"It's been a long day, remember?" I nestle my head against his shoulder. "You deserve some rest."

"Maybe. I don't want to waste my honeymoon, though. You know what will wake us up again?"

"...what?"

He winks. "Hot Springs."

"Hot springs? They do the opposite for me, they make me- AH!" Julius cuts me off when he suddenly picks me up again. "Julius! Don't you dare-"

It's too late. One flash, and we're in the hotsprings next to the cabin. The hot water is already around us, making me relax almost instantly. "Ah, Julius, we're going to have to take a shower after we get out, you know," I remind him, feeling his arm already snaking around my shoulders. 

"Oh, I know." Julius wiggles his eyebrows. "We're not going to waste a single second of this honeymoon. Shower is on my list."

"List?!" I don't resist as he moves in front of me, his arms caging me in. "What else is on this 'list' of yours?"

"You'll see."

* * *

Needless to say, it's a long night. After I finally go to bed, I wake up at 10 the next morning, curled up in a bed of tangled sheets. Julius isn't there, and he isn't anywhere else in the cabin once I gain the strength to get up and look around. However, he did make coffee and leave a bunch for me. _He probably went on a walk... well, while he's gone, I'll make breakfast!_

As soon as I bend over to search through the icebox, I wince a bit from pain. There it is again, those morning cramps I got yesterday. They're definitely familiar, although I can't be sure. _If this means what I think it means... I might get my period in a few days,_ I think to myself, before shaking my head. I need to focus on one thing at a time. Although, I need to tell Julius what's going on. 

"Good morning! You look like you had a fun night~"

I look around to see Julius walk in through the slightly-damaged front door, a cheeky smile on his face. He's wearing a patterned sweater that I've never seen before, probably something his dad left here on their last visit. "Hmm, so do you," I flirt back, leaning into him as he comes up to kiss me on the cheek. "How was your walk?"

"It was great. This-" He sniffs the air, looking down at my cooking. "This smells good! I didn't know you liked to cook."

"I do!" I give the pan one last shake before turning the stove off. "Nothing too complicated though, so we'll have eggs and bacon."

"Look at you, being all domestic! I kind of like this side of you~"

"Watch it!" I wave the spatula at him threateningly. "Don't forget who helps you run this country."

"Right, right, I forgot, _you're_ the Wizard King," Julius teases, watching eagerly as I serve a plate for him. "I really appreciate everything you do, you know."

"I know. I love you too." 

Julius and I dig into breakfast, and I sip at the coffee I prepared for himself. "This is perfectly cooked! Just like the head chef makes it," he compliments, scarfing down his food at an astronomical speed. "Have you been practicing lately?"

I nod, swallowing my mouthful before answering. "Yeah! I was looking forward to cooking for you, actually. You see..." I realize that I'm clutching my fork a little tightly in anticipation. "Something strange has been happening... I noticed it on the day of the Star Festival. All the sudden, I'm starting to be hungry again."

"... wow, really?" Julius's brow furrows. "Did the Dyad spell wear off? No, that can't be it..."

"I don't know why, but my appetite is returning to normal. But that's not all..." I suck in a breath, blushing a little. "Just in the last few days... I've been getting cramps. Cramps like the kind I got 6 years ago, right before I got my period. So-" I clear my throat and avoid his gaze. He's being awfully quiet as he takes it all in. "I don't want to assume anything to soon, but I might get my period this week. And if I do, it means that my reproductive system has somehow started working again."

I let the statement hang in the air between us, my grip on my fork now like iron. How was he going to react? I don't dare look up, now wondering if I shouldn't have dropped this information so casually. Starying to feel a bit scared, I clear my throat. "Like I said, I don't want to assume anything, but you deserve to know. I don't know if you've even thought about it for a while-"

"No, I think about it," Julius finally says. "A lot... every day, actually."

_Every day._

Maybe I really am about to get my period, because just those words start to get emotional. That's right; Julius confided in me long ago that he had the goal of having a family. Children running around the castle, being loud, bothering Marx, climbing all over him, and me by his side... No, not a goal. It was his dream, and I destroyed it. 

"Hey, hey, it's alright."

Before I know what's happening, I'm crying softly into my hands, Julius instantly moving over to kneel down and wrap his arms around me. "I'm so glad you told me! I know we shouldn't assume anything, and I won't, but we're going to explore this together, okay?" Julius's hand strokes my hair softly as his words start to calm me down. "I'm sure this has been harder for you than anyone. But you're not alone, I'm not going anywhere."

_I'm not going anywhere._

Finally, I sit up to look into his eyes, his hands holding my face gently. "You okay?"

I nod, swallowing my guilt. "I'm sorry..."

"No, no, it's alright, I promise. You have every right to cry."

"I just-" I feel tears welling up again, and his thumbs wipe them away. "I really want a baby, Julius... I want your baby. I want to give you as many as you want." For some reason, I can't help but laugh a little through my tears as I see Julius smile at my words. "I'm just... s-so afraid that I never will."

"Hey, look at me."

I blink, looking back into Julius's gaze, and I see he has that distinct, determined look that I've seen on the faces of Mages about to go into battle. 

"I promise you... I don't care how long it takes. I don't care if we have to try for years. I don't care if it's still impossible. If I have to, I'll do it through sheer force of will. But I'm going to put a baby in you, one way or another."

Julius has a bad habit of making promises that he can't keep. Things like "I won't let anything bad happen to you." But right now, it doesn't feel like one of those sentimental promises. It gives me a chill. 

"I love you, alright? I'm your husband, and we're in this together." He offers me a gentle smile, the gentle smile that pulled me to him so long ago. Miraculously, I find myself smiling back. 

"I know... I love you too."

I lean up to kiss him, clutching at his chest as his embrace engulfs me once more, feeling more at peace than I have for a while. 

The peace doesn't last long, though. Julius lets out a soft growl as the kiss becomes more impassioned, quickly picking me up out of my chair. A moment later he pushes me on my back on the couch, not bothering to make it all the way to the bedroom. "Since we're on the subject..." He mumbles, and I can feel his smile on my own lips. "We might as well start trying." 

I nod eagerly, pulling off my nightgown while Julius unzips his pants, his hand stroking his cock as my panties join the rest of my clothes on the ground. "You look so beautiful this morning," he tells me softly, biting his lip a bit in anticipation.

I hum happily at the praise, my eyes drifting over him. "You know what you look like, with that sweater?" I ask him. 

"Hmm? Handsome?" he answers. 

I shake my head and give him a sly smile. "You look like a dad."

Uh oh. His eyes glint darkly at my words, and seconds later he's on top of me, his cock penetrating me in one rough thrust. I barely have time to gasp before he starts fucking me hard, bracing himself on the arm of the couch while his mouth bites and sucks at my neck. It's rough and hot and a little uncomfortable with his undone belt hitting my thighs every thrust, but the frenzy just feels so good. I choke out a few moans and try to run my hands through his hair, but he grabs my wrists and pins them above my head. 

"J-Julius, please- cum inside me-" I cry out, feeling shots of pleasure amplified by some strange, urgent adrenaline. "I know, I will," he grunts back, propping himself up slightly so he can look into my eyes. Despite his seriousness, he's smiling widely like he's having fun. "You feel so good this morning, so tight and eager for my seed, aren't you?"

Oh boy, that's one I haven't heard for a while. I can't do much other than nod, arching my hips up into his thrusts. His thrusts start to get sloppy now as he gets close to his release, and the feeling only gets him more riled up. "Come on, baby, cum with me, I want to feel-" He cuts himself off as he suddenly buries himself deep, cock twitching before spilling his seed in me. A moment later I follow, writhing against him as he thrusts slowly, both of us trembling as his wamth fills me up. "That's it," he whispers gently, his voice wavering slightly as the pleasure washes over him. "Take all of it..."

He kisses me softly as he finally stops, both of us still shaking and basking in the afterglow of that... intense session. Finally, after what seems like hours, Julius pulls out, sitting up to wipe some sweat off his face. "Wow... that was..."

We both start laughing again, and I sit up to meet his hug. "I love you, Julius, " I whisper in his ear. "Thank you..."

"I love you too, my sweet," he whispers back, kissing my forehead. "And you're very welcome... I have a lot more to give you, so don't get dressed just yet."

... oh boy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time! Chapter 82: the surprise. Julius gives MC a big surprise on the day of the Royal Knights exam.


	83. the surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm definitely going to prematurely call "Xerx" Zora at some point so just let me know if I do lol.

Another week goes by, and it's finally time for the Royal Knights exam. Almost everyone is excited for it, and some have been training non-stop. "Ooh, five members of the Black Bulls are trying out, I see," I point out as I lean over the balcony and look down into the arena pit. "And I bet everyone in the Golden Dawn will make it in. I wish you would tell me what the exam is going to be!" I straighten up to glare over at Julius, who just shrugs cryptically.

"I told you... it's a surprise."

That's what he tells me every time I ask, and it's starting to get on my nerves. "Whatever. Hopefully it's worth the wait. And I hope you're at least _considering_ me for a spot on the squad."

"Hmm... perhaps." 

There he goes again with the vague answers. I hope he's not being overprotective of me or something. Either way, it's not very kind of him to be acting so aloof, especially after we were disappointed this week. I had cramps galore, but not even a drop of blood came out of me during period week. Julius says it's probably just going to take a few months to get fully back to normal, and we can't expect it to work right away. He's right, but I still feel pretty sad about it. But at least I can distract myself today with whatever this exam is going to be, it'll be fun to watch if nothing else.

"Julius! I have arrived."

We turn to see Augustus approaching us, yawning. "My, it's much too early... couldn't we have pushed this back a couple hours?"

"I'm sorry, but this is going to take all day," Julius assures him before turning to the crowd and getting their attention. "Hello everyone! Thank you for coming, we'll be starting the exam now-"

"aHEM." Augustus cuts him off rudely. "I will be the one to explain the exam, I'm royalty, after all."

Julius gives him a long look but steps aside anyway. Augustus huffs and walks to the front in all his "glory." 

"This Royal Knights exam will be a team tournament... a crystal destruction battle royale!"

Everyone starts whispering excitedly at the announcement, and even my eyes widen. A tournament? I glance over at Julius to see him smiling at me. Was that supposed to be the surprise?

"To win against the other team, you must destroy their crystal while protecting yours. We chose this method because... because..."

"Because, as Royal Knights, you will be working closely with members of other squads in order to defeat the Eye of the Midnight Sun," Julius steps in to finish Augustus's sentence. "We've divided you into groups of three, three members from three different squads. Teamwork is essential, and we'll be watching closely to see how you get along with your comrades. Now, Marx."

Marx nods and holds up his hand, projecting a list of names and teams into the air. There are 16 teams, with three people in each. _Look, Asta's on the very first team! With Mimosa and... Xerx Lugner?_ My eyes widen at the sight of the name. Xerx has been on a mission for over 6 months now, and he decided to come back for this exam? Interesting. It's weird to think that we haven't seen the Purple Orca's vice captain in so long, which is part of the reason why we had to appoint Kaiser as the new captain instead of Xerx. However, I don't see Xerx anywhere in the crowd.

I continue reading through the list as all the others do the same. _Finral, Leo, and Hamon... that'll be interesting._ My eyes finally make it to Team H. _Langris Vaude... Sekke Bronzazza... and..._

The last name doesn't quite add up. The first thing I notice is the usage of my old last name (which I guess makes sense since hardly anyone knows that I'm married to Julius now), but then the _real_ problem registers.

"Hey! Julius! I didn't sign up for this!" I turn to him angrily and point at team H. "Why am I on the list?"

Julius looks like he's about to burst out laughing, but manages to contain himself. "Surprise! You said you wanted to be in the Royal Knights, right?"

 _This is the surprise?!_ "W-well, Yeah, but-" I'm still a little confused. "I thought that, you know... you would just-"

"Just appoint you?" Julius chuckles, his eyes glinting. "Now, now, I can't do that. _You're_ the one who's always telling me not to give you special treatment, after all! If you want to join the Royal Knights, you need to try out for it just like everybody else."

He has a point, a point that I can't argue with, but I'm still a bit worried. "Well... don't you think it's a bit unfair? I mean, team H already has Langris, don't you think including me is a bit heavy-handed?"

"Not at all! Because you-" He sticks a finger into my chest teasingly. "-aren't going to use _any_ of my magic. You're right, that wouldn't be fair, would it. And anyway, you have a new spell now, I understand... I haven't gotten to see it yet, so this will be a great time to use it."

 _... don't tell me... this was all a grand plan just to see my magic!_ I suck in a big breath before letting it out. "Fine. Have it your way."

"Glad to hear it." Julius smirks to himself before turning back to the crowd. "Now, we can all-"

He's cut off by a voice from high above him, which catches the attention of the crowd as well. "Hey everyone... I hope you won't mind me being a little late."

A man jumps down from the roof of the arena. What he was doing there is anyone's guess, but as soon as he lands on the balcony he throws an arm over Julius's shoulders. "Hey! Step away!" Marx yells, Grimoire already out.

"Get your hands off of him!" I follow, doing the same, my heart starting to pound as I get a good look at this troublemaker. He has slicked red hair, and a black mask covering the lower half of his face, except for his sharpened teeth. His shirt is barely a shirt, just covering his shoulders and baring his chest. He's very shady-looking which just puts me more on edge as he disregards us to look at Julius.

"Hey! What are you doing to the Wizard King!" someone yells from below, prompting a chorus of similar shouts.

"Ah, seems like everyone respects the Wizard King, at least," the guy sneers.

"Oh, so... who might you be?" Julius asks, seeming to be pretty unfazed by the situation. "I don't think we've met."

"I'm Xerx, Xerx Lugner," he explains, his gaze sweeping over the area. "I'm here to take this exam."

"Xerx Lugner? The Purple Orcas Vice Captain?" Marx echoes, his eyes narrowing. I size up this guy, getting a strange feeling. If this is actually Xerx, he's had _quite_ the makeover. At the same time, he seems awfully familiar, so maybe it really is Xerx. But that doesn't stop Marx from firing off a magic bullet at him. Xerx quickly jumps down into the crowd.

"Well, Xerx, welcome to the exam. Now that everyone is here-" Julius is acting like he didn't just have his personal space invaded by Xerx Lugner. "-we can make our way to the exam site! Cobb, if you please."

"Yes sir!" Cobb, who's down with the crowd, opens up a large door, the only way to transport this many people so quickly. "Everyone in!"

"Come on, darling." Julius grabs my hand. "You too, Marx."

"Huh?"

Julius grabs both of us, and seconds later, we're standing on a large platform overlooking an interesting landscape. I straighten up to get a better look. "So, this is where everyone's going to fight?"

"Yes... maybe you should go get acquainted with your team."

I shoot him a glare before doing as he says, stomping off to find Langris and Sekke. Langris stands near the rest of the Golden Dawn, looking a bit preoccupied. _He's the vice-captain of the Golden Dawn, he probably assumes that this is going to be smooth sailing,_ I think as I approach. _Hopefully it will be... I really don't know what to expect._ According to the bracket Marx displayed, we will be going fourth. "Langris," I greet simply, catching his attention. "I'm glad to be on your team, I suppose. Although, I'll warn you, I've been forbidden from using my full power during this exam."

Langris shrugs, his eyes drifting somewhere else in the crowd before returning to me. "That's fine. We'll be the ones to win this tournament, with or without you."

_...Okay... kind of rude-_

"Oh! Ba-ha, it's you!"

"Hmm?" I turn around to see that haughty kid from the Green Mantises walking towards me. "Ba-ha? What are you going here?"

He cringes a little at my indifference. "Oof! I'm on your team! And my name is Sekke!"

"Oh!" I smile a little when I realize who he is. "Cool... well, I hope we can all work together, then."

Sekke grins and does a corny little bow. "I'm sure we will! After all, I'm on the team with the second most eligible bachelorette in the kingdom-"

As if some weird form of radar had drawn him here, I feel a pair of heavy arms suddenly drape around my shoulders, and I _know_ who they belong to. Sekke cuts himself off.

"Hello, you two! Take good care of my wife for me, will you? Ha ha!"

"... Julius, you're embarrassing me," I mutter, turning bright red, but he just laughs again and plants an obvious kiss on my cheek. Julius doesn't get jealous, but he doesn't trust other men around me, so he sometimes just goes ahead and flexes his mere presence around other people if he feels that someone is about to cause problems. He doesn't have to much, as evidence by how Sekke goes pale and just squeaks out a _yes, sir._

Asta, Mimosa, and Xerx immediately go down to fight team B, struggling at first because of team B's long-range attacks and the fact that Xerx just straight up fell asleep. "My, we have some sleepyheads, don't we?" I look over to see Julius as he speaks, and I notice that none other than Charmy from the Black Bulls is sitting in his lap like a toddler, snoring away. _Isn't she like... 19?_ However, I know that Julius probably still thinks she's Yami's kid for some reason, and I have to admit... the sight is very, very cute. 

"Are you sure it was a good idea to let him in? We don't have any proof that he's actually Xerx Lugner," Marx whispers to Julius from the other side of his chair.

"It'll be fine, Marx. Anyway..." Julius looks back at the battlefield as Xerx shows off his trap magic for the first time, winning the first fight for his team.

_...Just as I thought._

"He's here for a reason. I want to see what that reason is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fragile Tormenta was never born in this story lol.
> 
> Next time: Fire and Water. MC fights her first battle, and Noelle faces her past.


	84. the fire and the water

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this chapter was kind of a dud, especially since I don't like rehashing canon scenes just from an OC's perspective... I apologize, the good stuff will be coming soon I swear lol

The battle between team C and D goes by fairly quickly. It's a strange thing, to see someone as pompous as Kirsch Vermillion fighting alongside feisty knights like Sol and Magna, but they make a surprisingly good team and make short work of team D. "Congrats, you guys," I make a point of going over to talk to them before the third match begins. "If you guys beat team A next round, we might even get to fight~"

"Hell yeah! I'll show you how much I've grown! But only if we can beat Asta's team," Magna tells me.

" _Only if?_ Of course we'll beat that unsightly team." Kirsch flips his hair aloofly. "They may have the vice captain of the Purple Orcas and my beautiful little sister, but that unsightly Asta will drag them all down with his unsavory peasant vibes..." He shudders at the thought.

"O...kay, well, see you guys in the semifinals, then!" I awkwardly wave and back off, not too sure what to think of Kirsch's strange outlook. Or, maybe it wasn't strange... most nobles looked down on peasants, after all. Maybe I _do_ hope that Asta beats him next round. 

"The match between team E and team F is about to begin!"

Leo, Hamon, and Finral are huddled over on their side, probably coming up with a plan. _Hamon's glass magic is very powerful, hopefully he'll be able to get along with the others... as for Leo, I'm excited to see what he's going to do! And I bet Finral will be a big help._ I remember how crucial he was in the battle against Vetto, and how much more confident he's seemed since then. _If they win, and my team wins, we'll be fighting each other next. I wonder how that's going to go..._

As the match begins, Finral immediately activates a portal, which Hamon jumps through. He appears behind team F, firing off a spell. They manage to block it, but the next moment sees Leo dropping down from above. One Spiral Flames later, and team F's crystal bursts into pieces, completely destroyed. "Wow... Finral's amazing! He managed to pinpoint their location and execute the attack so quickly-"

"Whatever. Come on, it's our turn." Langris cuts me off before walking off to get transported to the battlefield. _Hmm, he seems a bit upset about something._ I frown, but he's right, it's our turned. Admittedly, I'm a little excited to get out there and fight without some huge stakes riding on my back. First it was to escape, then to defeat Vetto, and most recently to save Graham. After so many brutal fights, I just want to relax a little... even if I have to do it in the middle of a tournament like this.

"Try not to be _too_ shocked," I tell Julius with a wink, shedding my jacket and throwing it to him before walking off.

"Oh, well, we'll see about that." Julius's eyes are already twinkling excitedly after seeing all the fights so far. _This setup isn't ideal just so he can see the squads' teamwork... it's ideal for him to see everyone's magic!_ I have to admit, he does look pretty cute when he gets all excited like this. "Good luck~"

With that, I turn to join Langris and Sekke as they head out to our side of the battlefield. A pristine crystal is waiting for us as soon as we step through Cobb's door, a crystal that we'll have to protect with everything we have. Well, that's what I would have done, but Langris has other plans. "We'll go right for their crystal, it shouldn't take long at all," he tells us, already wiggling the fingers on his right hand excitedly as the announcement comes that the match has begun. We don't have long to think of a strategy, but knowing Langris's powers, going all-in on offence might be the best idea.

"Ba-ha! If that's the case, then we can just ride my _Sekke Shooting Star_ over there!" A strange, motorbike-like vehicle appears below him, and he spreads his arms proudly. "What do you think?"

It's hideous. Not only that, but it's very large and unwieldy-looking. "If the other team has any projectiles, they're going to hit us," Langris points out, starting to get antsy. I know he wants nothing more than to go show off his destructive spatial magic. "But if no one has any better ideas-"

"I do." I catch his attention as I let my grimoire float open and glow blue. "I have a brand new spell... perfect for this."

I know this is what Julius has been waiting for, and I'm going to give him a very good show.

_"Flame Creation Magic: Sun God's Leap."_

After training for another week, I've finally got very good control over this flight spell, honing it to the best of my abilities. It's a spell that doesn't utilize any of my time magic, only my original flame magic. I don't even have to use my mark to amplify the spell, as a disc of blue light appears behind my head, drawing in all the mana it touches to be used at my disposal. The four rings appear around my ankles and elbows, small wings stretching from each. It's an absolutely beautiful spell, one I could have never dreamed of having before this. With this spell, I can fly, and with this spell... I think we will win this tournament.

Langris raises an eyebrow as I reach out a hand to him. "Come on. Keep your right hand free."

"...alright." Langris smiles confidently while Sekke watches us with awe, and takes my hand. As soon as I grab it, I turn and push off with as much force as I can, and the two of us shoot off across the battlefield.

It's enthralling. For years, I've watched mages like Julius fly around with ease while I follow awkwardly on _Flaming Condor_. But now, I'm the one who flies with ease, dragging Langris behind me as I weave through the rocks across the landscape. "Almost there... look!" I spot the other team up ahead. From the looks of it, they've already encased their crystal in iron. That spell belongs to none other than Gareth, my former squad member. _Sorry, Gareth... but I think this is the end for you,_ I think, smiling gleefully to myself.

"Swing around before you get too close, I'll handle the attack," Langris orders, holding on for dear life but managing to focus in on the objective.

"Got it!"

I do exactly as he says, slowing down just in time to pull of a tight turn. Langris raises his right hand, then swipes down without even using his Grimoire. It happens so fast, and the next moment leaves a giant crater in the hillside, the enemy's crystal blown cleanly in half.

"Team H wins!"

I can hear cheers from the audience as Langris and I finally skid to a stop, and I let him down. "That was amazing, Langris!" I tell him, balling up my fists excitedly. "We won!"

"What did you expect?" Langris smiles proudly to himself. It's true, I would expect nothing less from the Vice Captain of the Golden Dawn. But at the same time, Langris's tone isn't as celebratory as it should be. There's some tense, strained emotion underlying it, and I can't help but notice his eyes look up at the spectators before looking back at me. "We should win this with no trouble."

"Ah, don't speak to soon!"

With that, Sekke finally catches up, and the three of us make our way back to the main platform. Some members of the Golden Dawn run up to congratulate Langris, and he walks off with them. "Ah, catch you later!" I say before quickly leaving Sekke alone, not too keen about being in just his presence right now. Luckily, several people are waiting for me.

"That was an amazing spell!!! You were flying around like it was nothing!!! What's the name? Tell me!" Julius, of course, is absolutely dazzled, stars basically erupting from his eyes as he grabs my shoulders and shakes me slightly.

"It was so cool! You were flinging that shrimp around, too!" Magna adds, probably referring to Langris.

"I wish I could fly like that!" Asta pipes up, looking a little forlorn.

"Ah! One at a time!" I laugh and hold up my hands to stop the barrage of questions. "It's a new spell... I call it _Sun God's Leap."_

Julius starts vibrating with excitement. "What an accurate and amazing name!"

"Julius! The next match is about to start, come sit down," Marx yells, causing Julius to wince. "Aha, I gotta go... Augustus will get lonely without me, after all~" He winks. "I'm looking forward to seeing more."

"Good... there's a lot more where that came from."

Maybe this tournament will actually go really well for me... A lot of the knights are looking at me now, probably interested to see more of my magic as well. I don't get to show off like this very often, and something stirs within me.

_I want them all to see that I'm not just some washed up, exiled knight... I'm one of the most powerful people in this kingdom. I'm the one that stands next to the Wizard King, after all!_

* * *

The next few matches go on without problems. Teams I and J fight, and to everyone's surprise, one of the participants ends up being none other than Rill, the captain of the Azure Deer. _Hmm... this could be a problem. His Painting Magic is super powerful, and I've never had to fight him before._ As expected, his team wins easily, and his paint covers most of the battlefield. 

The fight between teams K and L ends with Luck, Klaus, and Puli victorious. M and N fight it out, with M coming out on top. Finally, at long last, it's time for O and P. Noelle, Yuno, and En from the Green Mantises prepare to head out and fight, but I take the moment to approach Noelle one last time. Team O has Noelle's older brother Solid on it, so I know it could be difficult for her.

"Are you nervous?"

Noelle sucks in a breath, but shakes her head. "No... I can do this."

I smile a little and give her shoulder a squeeze. "Good. I think you can, too. And anyway-" I wink. "You better win! I want to fight you in the finals."

"No offense, but I'll be fighting Asta in the finals," Yuno pipes up from behind me. 

"Ah... you and your rivalry... I'd hate to come between it, I suppose." I laugh nervously. "Good luck, guys."

Team O is stacked, with both Solid and Alecdora Sandler of the Golden Dawn on it. _But Noelle's new spell can defeat Solid, I know it._ Apparently Solid says a lot of terrible things about me behind my back, and sometimes when I'm standing right near him, too. I know he does the same with Noelle, and he's been doing it for her entire life. _Such unnatural cruelty... Noelle, teach him a lesson!_

And... what else is there to say? You know what happens. Noelle wins, knocking Solid completely out in a monstrous show of power. It's epic. To be expected of Noelle.

Yuno also decimates Alecdora, his own senior. I notice that he uses his spirit magic, but not his Spirit Dive power. _He's saving it up for the end... that's smart. Probably to use against Asta._ I glance over at Asta, who's cheering on his friends with the others. _If I'm lucky... I'll get to fight both of them. Maybe I'm not on the most ideal team-_ I glance over at Langris, who looks uninterested, and Sekke, who looks as pathetic as usual.

- _But I want to win. And we will._

Maybe I spoke too soon, because the second round is just about to start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time! Chapter 85: the brothers. MC gets ready for her next match, facing off with an old squad member. But the real showdown is going on outside, and nobody expects how it ends.


	85. the brothers

And so begins the second round! Asta and his team surprise everyone by defeating the Coral Peacock's vice-captain, Kirsch, much to his dismay. Xerx actually seems to be working with the others now, which is a relief. There's nothing worse than having a weak link in your group, especially since the stakes are so high. I keep glancing over to study Julius's face as he watches for any sign of what he's going to do with those three. He just seems excited as usual, but nothing else reveals what his final decision would be. _I don't expect that he'll pick anyone who failed in the first round, unless it would be stupid to exclude them from the squad... hopefully this next fight goes well for us._

"Hey! Captain!" 

We're just getting ready to head out onto the field when Leo, Hamon, and Finral run over to us. "We're facing each other next... good luck!" Leo tells me brashly. "I'll try my best to defeat you!"

"Indeed..." Hamon chuckles, still chewing on his between-round snack. "Good luck to you as well, Vice-Captain."

I look over at Langris, who's smiling in a kind of ominous way. I follow his line of sight before realizing that he's staring right at Finral. _This tension between them... they know each other?_

"Good luck, Langris."

"Oh?" Langris smirks. "That's bold of you to say, big brother... I'm sure _you're_ the one that needs the luck, with your sloppy spatial magic."

_...brothers?_

"Try not to get in the way... I'm not sure I'll be able to stop myself from taking your arm." Langris lowers his voice for the threat so the others can't hear.

Despite the threat, Finral still looks determined. "That's not going to happen... because I'm going to defeat you this time."

"...we'll see."

The tension remains even after we part ways to our own side of the field. Sekke and I both stand awkwardly behind Langris as he sizes up the scene, a little scowl accompanying his smirk. _I'm sorry, Finral... I don't know what happened between the two of you, but I still want to win._ Even so, I don't feel like taking part in such a familial squabble. "I'll stay here and guard the crystal," I suggest. "Sekke, you can drive Langris this time. If they have the same strategy, Finral will be the only one at the crystal while he sends Leo and Hamon to us."

Langris nods slowly. "Right. I'll make this quick."

_... just don't kill anyone, okay?_

That might be too much to ask.

The two of them shoot off on Sekke's Shooting Star, leaving me to stash the crystal somewhere. Finral was able to pinpoint its location before, so I decide to put in somewhere where he can't drop someone down right on top, just like he did with Leo earlier. Luckily, there's a windmill nearby, the ceiling low enough that a portal can't fit. Only one way in and out, too... if I can hold the two of them off for long enough, I'm sure Langris and Sekke will take care of the enemy team's crystal.

Right on cue, Finral's portal opens up and two people jump through, Hamon and Leo. _Perfect! I don't know if Finral's come up with any attack spells, but if not, this should be over within seconds._ "Hey there," I greet, standing up from where I was leaning up against the crystal and letting my Grimoire open up. Instantly, my blue flame shoots out along the floor, causing the pair to jump back. "How did you guys even pinpoint where I was?"

"Ah ha ha... that would be my _Verre Detection,"_ Hamon gloats, standing behind Leo as he eyes my flames cautiously. The heat could very easily shatter his glass immediately, which is why he hesitates. "Leopold... I will leave this to you."

"Right! I'll create an opening!" Leo excitedly replies, flames whipping around his hands. "Sorry, Captain... but we'll be the ones to win this round."

"You don't have to call me that any more, you know," I tell him, feeling a bit embarrassed. "But you're right... my magic level is on par with a Captain. Defending this crystal will be the easiest thing I've ever done!" I spread my arms, feeling mana building up in my skin. I have to be careful to discharge this spell just from the front, or else I'll end up accidentally destroying the crystal behind me. _"Flame magic: Solar Blitz!"_

A flurry of lightning fast solar bolts shoot out of my glowing arms, right at my enemies. Hamon pulls Leo back and sends up a wall of glass, which deflects a few bolts but immediately cracks. I watch as the two of them try to dodge the bolts, glancing back at the crystal. _Hmm, I don't want them to reflect my spell back into the crystal..._ "Impressive! But now it's my turn!" Leo roars, the edges of his cape singed. " _Flame Magic: Spiral Flames!"_ Two huge columns of whirling flames shoot out at me and the crystal. _Uh oh!_ They're wide and wild, it's going to be hard to dodge this. I send flame behind me to push the crystal out of the way, even though this windmill is quite cramped. _Fire Creation Magic: Blazing Spear!_ The arrow-like spear appears in my hand and I brace it. _If I was able to halt Licht's light magic with this, then-_ I'm quickly proved correct as Leo's fire hits the hilt, rocketing off in another direction. I wince a little as my hands get singed. _What's taking Langris so long? Finral must be putting up quite a fight._

"Here I come!"

Leo, Hamon, and I continue to exchange blows, some of theirs managing to chip shards off my crystal. _Shit! I have plenty of mana left, but this windmill is so tiny... maybe I should blow it away and try to go somewhere else,_ I think, jumping out of the way as Leo's _Wild Bursting Flames_ shoot up out of the ground around me. If only Julius would allow me to use my full power, I could easily halt them right where they stand, but that's out of the question. If I win this, I want to do it with my own power. Because, if my own magic is that strong, it opens up a lot more opportunities with Julius's magic.

"Grrr, stop dodging and fight me for real!" Leo yells, wiping his brow.

"Hmm, no," I say, cracking my burnt knuckles. "This is a war of attrition right now, you know."

Leo blinks, confused. "War of attrition? What's that?"

"Well, that's in war when one army is- you know what-" I raise my hand, charging up an attack. "You're right, that's boring." I've been avoiding another attack because I'm afraid of accidentally damaging the crystal, but at this point I just want to fight. "You asked for it!"

"Finally!" Leo jumps out of the way as Solar Bolt shoots by his leg, throwing dust up as it blasts the ground. "Take this!" He gets up close and personal now, chucking fire right at me. 

"Ouch!" I swipe down with my spear, nearly missing his boot. _Come on, faster! React to things faster!_ "If you burn my skirt, I'm going to kill you, Leo!" 

"Oh yeah?" Leo steps back, letting me advance with both palms glowing. _Come on, one clean hit and he'll be knocked out-_

 _"_ Hamon, now!"

" _Glass creation magic: Verre Epee!"_

Oh shit. I feel the mana building under my feet, and jump up just in time to avoid getting cut by the massive amount of glass that suddenly erupts. It keeps shooting up at me, though, and I have no choice but to break it. "ahh!" I point my hands down and send out my last Solar Bolts, cracking the glass. But they go ricocheting off around the room wildly, breaking dirt and stone and-

"No!" I turn around just in time to see it flash right through the crystal.

_No! Stupid! I really let-_

The dust clears, and somehow the crystal is still intact. I blink, confused like the other two, but then realize what happened. There's a tiny hole in the crystal, but it was so precise and concentrated that it didn't let it crack further. _Amazing... I forget sometimes about how powerful that little attack is. Well-_ I let myself grin as I prepare to land gracefully on my feet and charge at them again. _At least we can keep fighting-_

"Halt! The match has ended! Team H wins!"

The announcement freezes us all. I land and straighten up. "Oh... that's all, I guess."

"Dammit! We were so close, too!" Leo groans, his shoulders slumping. "That damn Langris..." 

"Hey, you two did great!" I give them a smile, relieved that it's over. _Now... in the semi finals, I get to fight Asta's team! This is exciting._ "You've grown a lot, Leo. You seem more and more like Fuegoleon every day."

Leo's frown is wiped off his face at the praise. "Really? Thank you!"

"I wonder what happened out there," Hamon says, turning towards the door. "Maybe we should go regroup."

"Right." I start to follow, but we all freeze at the feeling of something... terrible. It's mana, powerful mana, emanating from the other side of the battlefield. It causes all the hairs on my neck to stand up. _This magic... this feels so much like Vetto..._ "What on earth is that? I thought the match ended?" I say, glancing at the others who have similar expressions on their faces. All the sudden, the feeling disappears, but still leaves an ominous, silent threat hanging in the air. "...let's go!"

We start running, but we barely get far before someone suddenly teleports in front of us. "J-Julius?" I say, skidding to a stop, surprised to see him down here. "What's going on? Is that-" My eyes widen when I see that he has Langris caught in a time globe. 

"There's been a change of plans... you'll be fighting team A right now," Julius tells me, his smile still on despite the grim look in his eyes that tells me _something's wrong._

My eyes dart back to Langris. _...was it something he did?_

I don't really even need Julius to tell me what happened. _Langris tried to attack Finral even after injuring him badly. Asta and the others tried to protect their friend, and now Langris and Asta want to fight now. So..._

"I'm sorry about this. But..." Julius places a hand on my shoulder. "Be careful. Keep an eye on things down here..."

_This is serious. Langris has some sort of influence over him that we couldn't imagine before._

"You two can go back up," Julius turns to Leo and Hamon. "You both fought very well, I'm very impressed."

"T-Thank you, sir!"

"Oh, if we're having the match now-" I look around. "Where's Sekke-"

Immediately, one of Cobb's doors open, and the aforementioned Sekke drops out ungracefully onto the ground. "Ah, there he is." Julius immediately raises his hand and puts Sekke in the same bubble as Langris. "Now... you too. For security, you know."

I nod slowly, waving goodbye to Leo and Hamon before walking over to the bubble. "Julius... should I-"

"Don't interfere too much," Julius answers, offering me a comforting smile. "I don't think there will be many more problems... but do your best."

I somehow manage to mirror his smile. "Right. I will!"

With that, the time bubble engulfs me, and we await the start of the long-awaited semifinal match.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh! Next time: the draw. MC isn't sure how she feels about this fight, but hey, it's just another day!


	86. the draw

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A special treat, two chapters in one day! Enjoy!

The moment Julius releases us to begin the match, I can tell that something is off with Langris. Not only is that ghastly mana still hanging around him, but also his cool, aloof demeanor is completely shot. His hands shake, and one of his eyelids is twitching. _Julius said he attacked Finral even after defeating him... that's not something a normal person does. Something's wrong with him..._ I gulp and look towards the other side of the field. _Asta and the others could be in danger..._

"Langris-"

"Stay out of my way," he snaps, cutting me off. "We'll defeat him... them... at whatever cost!"

 _Uh oh._ His voice is shaky, almost maniacal. But despite his unstable nature, I'm not going to let this stop us. _It feels wrong... but I still want to win._ I grit my teeth. _So, Langris... try not to go crazy yet._ "Sekke. Take us over there." Langris gives me a sharp look. "You can't take all three of them at once. I'll distract one of them."

Langris sucks in a breath but nods once. _At least he's being a little reasonable._ "Let's go."

The three of us pile onto Sekke's Shooting Star. Sekke has remained mostly silent, probably the only smart thing he's done since I first met him. I brush my hair back out of my face as I hold onto the vehicle, staring up ahead across the landscape. _After this, we'll be in the finals... against one of the four teams left. That'll give us enough time to rest. But this team could be difficult..._

Mimosa uses mostly recovery spells, but I've seen her use one powerful offensive spell that we'll have to look out for. Meanwhile, Xerx's trap magic can fire spells right back at us. And then there's Asta... he can nullify any attack used on him, so it would have to be a fast, dense flurry that he can't block the entirety of. I can't use Blazing Spear, because I'm sure he'll parry me. And even in _Sun God's Leap,_ he could send me plummeting to the ground with one hit. It's a sensitive situation for sure.

 _I want to win... but..._ I turn to look over at the platform in the distance, where all the spectators are. _...should we? If Langris hurts someone badly again, we might have to forfeit. So, I need to ensure that we win cleanly, and quickly._

"Here we are. Stay here." Langris holds on as we skid around in the air. Below us, in the valley, is the three of them, running with their crystal trailing behind them. Langris raises his hand and chucks his spatial magic down at them, but Asta quickly blocks it. "Just as I thought... more!" He shoots more and more spells down at Asta, who attempts to block them all but just can't. _He's not using his flying form, the one he used at the volcano,_ I think as I watch, waiting for a moment to jump in. Asta is getting wounded, a few chunks carved off his crystal, but Mimosa is healing him as quickly as she can so they can keep running.

"Give up!" Langris yells down at them. "I'm a true magic knight... I'll never lose to trash like you!"

"A true magic knight would never put lives in danger!" Asta yells back, wincing against the pain in all parts of his body. "Finral works hard every day to protect people... you never had that goal!"

"So? Should I compare myself to someone who couldn't win?" Langris chuckles, before jumping down to continue his assault on foot. "In this world, the one who _wins_ is right!"

This fight is so highly-strung with emotion, I don't even know if I _should_ involve myself. Sekke and I just keep circling above them, feeling awkward. Suddenly, Asta and Mimosa break off, and Xerx throws himself headlong into the fight, right as Langris launches another flurry of attacks. My eyes widen a little. _Xerx! He's going to get injured..._ I shake my head. _He wouldn't do this if he knew he was going to get annihilated. So..._ I turn my gaze to Mimosa, Asta, and the crystal, which is on it's last legs. _One shot, and that crystal is done... Asta's being healed..._

"Sekke." The boy looks up as I finally stand up, my grimoire glowing. "Thanks for carrying us over here."

"Y-Yeah." Sekke blinks, blushing a little, and watches as I once again activate _Sun God's Leap._ My free hand forms a fist, clutching the quickly-growing _Blazing Spear._ I only have a few seconds, and I have to act now. Without another word, I push off, blasting Sekke's Shooting Star away, and zoom towards the trio.

_Here we go... just a little closer..._

Suddenly, it's as if a bolt of black lightning hits Asta, and he straightens up in his Black form, just in time to see me coming. "Ah!" With increased reflexes, he raises his sword to block me. _Shit!_ I brake in the air, extending one foot to kick off the black sword and fly off the other way. My flight immediately wobbles, the wings around my left ankle disintegrating. _He erased the magic in that leg! Not good!_ Asta has already shot off towards me, sword in hand. _I forgot, he can fly now too... well..._ I grit my teeth, pointing my spear at him while mana concentrates at the end. _Sorry, Asta!_

A second later, I launch the attack, a swarm of _Solar Bolts_ shooting towards the boy. Asta produces his second sword, to more easily cut through the attacks as he continues to pursue me. I glance down, unable to tell what's happening with Langris and Xerx. _Damn... Asta has great reflexes, way better than mine right now! I can't keep this up, especially with one bad foot-_

Asta is suddenly right next to me, his big sword swinging down. "Sorry!"

"Ah!" I drop, missing it by mere inches. I zoom off back towards the ground, but Asta follows right behind, as if draw to a magnet. I completely forgot how this same thing happened back at the volcano. _I wonder... in this form, his anti-magic takes over, and follows the strongest mana it can find?_ And that would be me, right here. _It wants to suck out my mana... well..._ I suddenly smile as I get an idea. _How about this..._

I release _Sun God's Leap._ In fact, I release all my magic, and go plummeting right towards the ground. Asta's face goes out of focus as I fall away, but a moment later, he's being pulled towards Langris instead. _There... I can't use much now, but-_ I shield my body as I hit the ground at last, rolling to a stop not too far away. I sit up quickly and take in the situation. Asta and Langris are fighting now, and Mimosa is healing Xerx by their crystal. _This is it! Since Asta's over there, now..._

I stand up and start limping over, my left ankle throbbing with pain. I must have kicked that sword harder than I thought. _Just a little farther... one hit, and that crystal is mine! We'll make it to the finals... I might get to fight Yuno today, too!_

Mimosa looks up from Xerx as I approach, her eyes widening. "Watch out!"

 _Mimosa, I'm not going to hurt either of you,_ I think, my eyes flickering down to Xerx as another solar bolt charges up in my hand. _I'll finish this quickly... before anyone gets hurt, especially-_

Xerx looks over at Mimosa's gasp, and our eyes meet for the first time.

...

...

I stop in my tracks, and my heart nearly stops.

_... Zora?_

His face has changed, but I know those eyes. I know them from memories that are not mine.

_Why are you-_

I get pulled out of my thoughts as I hear a scream. We all look over to see Asta launch himself at Langris, hitting him right in the chest. The two of them go flying off... right towards our crystal. _No! They're going to hit it! And then-_ Without another thought, I turn back towards Mimosa's almost-destroyed crystal. _But I'll get there first! I have to! I'm right here!_

_Solar Bolt!_

The flash of blue fire shoots out of my hand, right over Zora and Mimosa's heads, and into their crystal. Earlier, Solar Bolt failed to destroy my own crystal, but this is different. The moment it hits, the crystal shatters into a million pieces.

_I did it! We won! We-_

"The match is over! Both crystals were destroyed at the same time, so it is a draw! Neither team advances!"

_... oh._

As soon as it started, it's over. The match ends in a draw, and our rise to the top is halted.

"Ah... that's a shame." I feel disappointed, but also a little relieved that I don't have to work with this team anymore. I wish I could have had a little more time to show off, though. I was starting to get used to being in the spotlight, for once. "Are you two okay?"

"Eh, none of your business," Zora sneers, getting to his feet. "Who are you supposed to be, anyway? You're not even a magic knight."

A little rude, yeah, but I'm more intrigued with this guy than anything. I let out a little laugh. "Oh, I am. Just when I'm needed."

_...it felt good to say that._

Zora, the son of Zara Ideale. Memories of the first peasant magic knight come from long ago, when I first did the Dyad spell with Julius. Julius's memories of the man were particularly strong, which is probably the reason why they're so clear in my own mind, as if I had experiences them myself. There's other memories like that in me now, as well, but this one bothers me a little. _Zora... after being missing for so many years, you decide to come back now? Although... I'm sure you have your reasons._

A door opens up to let us back in. Langris, who was knocked out, is apprehended and carted off somewhere out of sight to be investigated. Asta nearly collapses, disappointed in himself, before behind caught and held by all the magic knights around him. I just stand back and watch, the moment feeling a bit bittersweet.

_We were so close... but, at least-_

An arm wraps around me.

"Darling, that was amazing! I hope you realize how powerful you are on your own."

I look up to see Julius smiling down at me, and lean into his embrace. His eyes are sparkling, despite the heavy stuff we had to deal with. "When you were fighting Asta in middair, I've never seen anything like it! And you were using 3 spells at once, weren't you? Magnificent..."

_... at least he got to see me._

"Thank you, Julius!"

I lean up to meet his kiss, which is probably not the best move right now. Next to no one has actually seen the two of us acting like this in public, and I hear a few gasps. Then, Augustus clears his throat loudly. "You two! Stop that at once. I'm getting tired, so let's stop the nonsense and get on with it!"

Julius sighs and turns back to him, still holding my hand. "As you wish, sir." He smiles again as he looks down at me. "Come on... let's watch the rest of this tournament together."

I give him a nod and mirror his smile, letting him pull me away hand in hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time! The Royal Knights: the tournament draws to a close, but MC has little time to rest as it's time to gather the Royal Knights for the all-important mission.


	87. the royal knights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my goodness... we're getting kind of close to the end... :((
> 
> Also, I have like 4 chapters written ahead right now so that's why I'm doing so many double updates lol. My goal is to finish this fic on September 21st bc that's MC's birthday lol

The rest of the tournament goes by without a hitch. In fact, I'm so exhausted that I fall asleep for a match, my head buried in Julius's fluffy shoulder. Maybe it's not proper, but neither of us really care at this point. Luckily, I wake up in time to watch the final... Yuno, Noelle, and En vs Rill's team. There's no way I can really describe what's happening other than... _indescribable._ Yuno is a match for Rill even without his Spirit powers, and the two weave a destructive path through the course as Noelle and En guard their crystal. Once Yuno finally pulls out _Spirit Dive,_ everyone is shocked and amazed to see such a powerful spell from a young magic knight. I smile a little to myself, and glance up at Julius to gauge his reaction. Surprisingly, he doesn't look shocked... just a look of being neutrally impressed. _He's been watching everyone for so long... he knew Yuno would grow into something great._ I look back out just in time to see Rill's crystal break.

_Just as we all knew._

"Thank you all for your hard work. We'll be picking between 10 and 20 of you for the Royal Knights."

With that, everyone starts to walk off in their grounds, ready to go home after an exhausting day. "Well, that was eventful..." Julius squeezes my hand as Cobb opens up a portal for us to walk through. Marx is busy handling the Langris situation, so we're alone. "Finral's condition is stable now, but he hasn't woken up. I would have liked to recruit him, too..." Julius sighs and shakes his head.

"Yeah... I hope he'll be okay," I agree, frowning a little at the thought. "So... Langris was working with the Midnight Sun? But unknowingly?"

"Apparently. You felt that mana, didn't you?" I nod along to his question. "We'll have to see what comes of this... but hopefully the Midnight Sun won't be a problem for much longer. That reminds me-" He looks over at me again, a twinkle in his eye. "I decided... Well, I knew before this exam. You will help Mereoleona lead the Royal Knights."

My heart leaps at the news. "Wow, really? Thank you! Wait-" I frown and stop in my tracks, pulling my hand out of his. "Then what was the point of me even taking that exam?"

Julius smirks, shrugging. "Who knows. Maybe I just wanted to see you test your limits?"

"Julius!"

"I'm sorry! Forgive me?"

"...that depends."

Despite his little scheme, I let him take my hand again as we walk off. "That reminds me... Xerx... he wasn't really Xerx, was he?"

"...you figured it out, too?"

"Yeah."

I look up to see a little smile on Julius's face. "Well... there's a lot I can tell you about Zora. First of all... we'll be recruiting him for the Royal Knights."

"... good."

* * *

_"You look stunning today! I know you're not the bride, but you could easily be one!"_

_"Ah, you don't have to be so nice to me!" I laugh awkwardly, feeling uncharacteristically nervous today. Especially with that last comment. The last thing I want to do is outshine Tetia today. I wonder if she knows of my plan with her brother... no. To be perfectly honest, there is no "plan" other than look good and hope that I get the chance to talk with him for a while. I look around as we all mill about before the ceremony, but Lumiere is nowhere to be seen. Maybe he's not coming... that would make things a lot easier for me, in the end._

_"Oi, trying to impress someone?" I jump as I feel someone's hand land on my shoulder, before looking up to see the terrible trio, Rhya, Fana, and Vetto._

_"Shut up, Rhya."_

_"Ooh, you'll never get a man with that mouth."_

_"SHUT. UP."_

_"Everyone knows, stop trying to be cool. I don't really get it, but it's starting to annoy me."_

_Uh oh, I know that voice. I look down to see none other than Patri standing there, his arms crossed and a sour look on his face as usual. "Look, Patri, don't think that you're going to get away with that," I tell him, pointing an accusing finger. "Rhya might be allowed to tease me, but not you!"_

_"Yeah, that's our job," Rhya tells him with a sleepy grin. If there's one thing Rhya and I can agree on, it's tormenting Patri._

_Patri wrinkles his nose at us. "When I get my Grimoire tomorrow, I'll make you regret that."_

_"Now, now, we're all at a wedding!" I feel a hand on my other shoulder. It's none other than my own mother, that happy, naive smile on her face as usual. "My, this reminds me of my own wedding... it wasn't nearly as lavish-"_

_"Didn't you elope?"_

_"...let's not sweat the details-"_

_I let out a rattling sigh before taking my mom's hand and pulling her away from the group. "Come on, the ceremony is about to start."_

_Unfortunately, Lumiere doesn't show up. But the wedding goes on, and it's as beautiful as you could imagine. Licht is handsome as ever in his robes, with a necklace embedded with our precious magic stones. Tetia is absolutely gorgeous, despite her pregnant belly. In fact, it only seems to make her look even more like a goddess. Within her is the child that is supposed to unite the clans of humans and elves, paving a away for a brighter future for both of us. And in that future..._

_For some odd reason, I can't stop smiling._

I'm going to do it...

Next time I see him, I'm going to tell Lumiere that I-

_Right then, everything goes wrong. Mid-thought, the sky suddenly grows dark, before a blinding light descends. Before we even have time to squint, the attack begins, and death rains down on us all._

_Screams fill the air, the smell of blood and smoke chokes my lungs. I stumble back, not sure what to do. Everything's fuzzy, am I panicking? Of course I am, who wouldn't in this situation._

_"M-Mom? MOM?!"_

_I don't see her anywhere, I don't see anything but the light that relentlessly attacks. I don't remember being hit, but now I'm on the ground, my own life bleeding out into the grass. Among all the chaos, I can only make out one thought, one horrible thought. I recognize this light magic, and..._

Lumiere...

_A spark of anger fizzles and dies, consumed by despair._

How... could... you...

* * *

"Darling? Are you alright?"

My eyes blink open as a hand gently shakes me awake. Julius is bending over me, a concerned look on his face. "...what? Huh? Oh- I'm fine." I yawn and sit up, still half-asleep. "What's going on?"

Julius relaxes a bit, his hand gently massaging my shoulder. "Nothing's happening... you just looked like you were crying for a moment."

"...huh." I frown. I remember having a dream, but I don't remember anything about it. But now there's a strange pit of dread eating away at my stomach, like hunger. "Well, I'm fine, don't worry." I let out another deep yawn. "God... I think I stayed up too late last night going over the plans with Mereo..."

"You've been working so hard." Julius gives me a peck on the forehead before moving away to rummage through the closet. "But today's the day, remember?"

I smile a little. "Right!" I rub my hands together before pulling off the covers and slipping out of bed, my feet recoiling slightly against the cold floor. "Mereo wanted us to reconvene around noon... then we'll be staying in a barrack in town for the night."

" _We?_ You too?" Julius turns back around with a pout on his face and my clothes neatly folded in his hands.

"It's for security reasons... but I'll try to stop by." I give him a wink before taking the clothes so I can get dressed. "Breakfast in your office?"

"As usual."

It's not an unusual day. Julius tries and fails to get work done. Marx comes and barks at him for a bit. We run off to spend some private time together before lunch. And then, I head off to round up those we chose for the Royal Knights. Julius chose 16 of them from the exam, and appointed a few others because they would come in handy in the fight. Cobb will be coming with us, as will Siren from the Golden Dawn (his sandstone magic can project the magical signature of an area, making him invaluable for recon). Also, of course, there's me and Mereoleona, but Nozel will be joining us as well. He was the one who discovered the base, and he insisted on being granted a spot. 

Once everyone is gathered, Mereo barks out a speech and then tells me to lead a group off to get changed. The Royal Knights Robes were Julius's idea, a) because they could be made out of a special magic-resistant fabric, and b) because they look cool. In fact, they _do_ look cool, especially on me, and I admire myself in the dressing room mirror for a moment before leading them back out. It's strange to see everyone from different squads wearing the same outfits, all united under these robes. Well...

"Hey! Why is mine so small?!" Asta yells, gesturing at his robe which appears to be more like a bib.

"Hmm... we probably ran out of fabric, because we added a few more members last minute," Mereo tells him, gesturing at Nozel, Shiren, and Cob. 

"That's no fair! Nozel, why didn't you take the exam like everyone else?" Rill objects.

Nozel just gives him a cold glare. "Why _did_ you take it? You're a captain, aren't you?"

"I think it's good he took it! Some of the terrorists are on the level of a magic knight's captain, you know," I point out. Nozel glares at me but doesn't try to retort.

"EVERYONE!" Uh oh. We all turn to see none other than King Augustus showing up, waving his staff around like an idiot. "Thank you for coming... especially you, Nozel and Mereoleona. It's good to have Royalty in the top ranking knights... even if..." His eyes narrow as he sees me, but he wisely decides to stop talking. "Everyone! Do your best! Do not disgrace yourselves as Royal Knights, because then you will be disgracing _me-"_

"Right! I will accept nothing short of victory!" Mereo cuts him off. "Anyone who fails will be killed by my own hands! Is that clear?!"

Everyone mumbles _yes ma'am,_ even Augustus. "Now... the location of the Midnight Sun's base is in a Gravito Stones dungeon. We'll be leaving in three days, but in the meantime you will be staying in special barracks in the Capitol."

With that, everyone heads off to their home for the next three days, both excited and nervous for the fight to come. _I might have to fight Licht again,_ I think, shuddering at the memory of our last encounter as I walk along at the rear. _This time, I won't lose! I'm faster and stronger than I've ever been in my life. Our next encounter will be our last._

"Mereo... you think you have everything handled here?" I ask after everyone is ushered into the dining room for their meal.

"Yeah... going somewhere?" She raises an eyebrow at me.

"I promised Julius I would give him a report... I'll be back in the morning, though. Call me on my communicator if anything happens."

"Got it." Mereo turns and walks away, letting me slip away into the night. The castle is quite a ways away, so I get the chance to use _Sun God's Leap_ once again. I shoot off over the city, my robes and hair fluttering in the wind behind me. I get a good look at the sunset up here, perfectly silhouetting the castle. It's so beautiful, and yet... so sad. Tomorrow is going to be a difficult fight, but we have the element of surprise as well as a solid plan.

_We'll win, tomorrow... and then everything can finally go back to normal._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time! Chapter 88: the twilight. On the eve of the Royal Knights' attack, MC gets a few quiet moments to enjoy the twilight of her happy years with Julius.


	88. the twilight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, this chapter is bittersweet.

_Tap, tap tap_

Julius starts awake, his face lifting off of the pile of paperwork he was in the middle of "working on." "Hmm?" Drowsily, he looks around before finally finding the source of the noise. It's me, of course, knocking gently on the window behind his desk, shadowed slightly by the twilight rays. "Oh! Hello there~" With a smile, he quickly gets up and moves to the window, pulling it open. "Would you like to come in?"

"Hmm, I don't know." I wink, still squatting on his windowsill, my Royal Knights robe blowing in the gentle wind. "It's such a nice night outside, you know? It would be a shame to let it go to waste."

"Indeed... I forgot, you can fly now," he says, his eyes drifting over the blue wings that I used to get here. "You're still full of surprises."

I grin at the praise, leaning in seemingly for a kiss before suddenly pulling back. I push off the windowsill, do a loop in the air, before coming back to hover by the window. "I was always so jealous, watching you fly around like it was nothing. But it's so freeing, now... I feel like I could do anything!"

The teasing look in Julius's eyes fades away to be replaced by unbridled admiration. Seeing that expression on his face, directed at _me_ of all people, never fails to give me a pleasant chill. Julius is the most amazing man in this world, after all... and yet he chose _me_ to be by his side. "Come on... let's enjoy this night together."

"Sounds like a great idea."

I hold out my hand, which he takes, and I pull him out of the window. His arms wrap around my waist in an instant, holding me close as he speeds us both up, flying into the night. I giggle as he plants a teasing kiss on my neck, and I turn around to admire the view. _Look at us! Flying together for the first time._ Julius's hand loosens from around my waist, sliding down to my hand instead. "What should we do?" I shout over the wind. "Anywhere you'd like to visit?"

"Hmm." Julius grins. "How about Yami?"

"Yami? He's probably taking a shit!"

We both descend into gales of laughter, so much so that I have to hold onto him again. "You know, when Yami was in my squad, I had to hire a weekly bathroom cleaner just so our squad didn't suffer his consequences!"

"You're kidding!" I giggle, even though it's perfectly reasonable. "He was like that as a teenager, too?"

"You know it." Julius sighs and shakes his head. "It was Hell on Earth, almost. He never wanted to wear our cloak, either."

"Yikes... makes me glad that I didn't join the Grey Deer!" I wink, coaxing another chuckle. "So... you actually _did_ notice me when I first took the exam, didn't you?"

Julius clears his throat awkwardly. "I did... just because of that joke you told. I don't remember what it was now..." He sighs and shakes his head. "I'm sorry. I'm usually better at sniffing out potential in people, but I didn't catch you until later."

"That's perfectly fine." I squeeze his arm, thinking he looked very handsome with the wind whipping through his short hair. "I was a dud back then, anyway, remember? I had no business being on any squad. And anyway, we might not have ended up together if you started out as my captain."

"Oh, right." Julius frowns a bit. "That's weird to think about... I don't think I could ever imagine a life without you being here by my side."

I don't answer, I just let him pull me closer, leaning my head against his shoulder as we fly. Finally, we slow to a stop, dropping down onto a ledge on the side of a valley. "Look at that view-" Julius points out, letting a low whistle pass his lips. The castle and capitol both glimmer in the distance, seemingly worlds away. "Sometimes... I wish we could run away and never come back. But it's such a beautiful place, I don't think I could ever lead it forever."

"That sounds fun, though, exploring the world with you?" I snake my arm into his, smiling up at him. "All sorts of new magic..."

"Ah, don't tempt me." Julius shakes his head. "I see enough new magic as Wizard King... even from people I've known a long time. It's great to see them all grow... maybe they'll even outgrow me one day." He lets out a chuckle. "But not yet... I'm not ready to give up this seat."

"Good." I squeeze his arm. "Unless someone forces you to."

Julius raises an eyebrow before turning to look down at me. "What do you-"

His body reacts before he even knows what's happening, pushing him away from me as I fire off _Solar Bolt._ "Hey! Be careful," he scolds, frowning as I start walking towards him again. "What's going on?"

"Oh, nothing." I grin and crack my knuckles. "It's been _years_ since we sparred, Julius, I need some practice for tomorrow."

Julius sighs heavily, but can't contain his own grin. "Very well... I'm not going to hold back."

"Good."

This time, there's no restrictions, and I can use my full power. And I need it, too, because Julius keeps his promise. I take flight again, my spear in my hand, letting out a determined yell as I flash towards him. But every time, he moves out of the way just in time, not bothering to make his counter attack yet. "Ah! Get back here!" Despite trying to stay serious, both of us can't help but laugh as I keep pursuing him, sending everything I have at him. I fling my arm out, letting a volley of accelerated _Solar Bolts_ shoot out at the ground at his feet, forcing Julius to jump into the air. _There we go! You're in my new domain, now!_ I make chase again, following his movements and slowly but surely getting used to his speed. 

" _Chrono Stasis."_

Ah! That's behind me! I drop down just in time to avoid getting trapped, zooming away from his grasp. _Hmm, that's right, if I trap him, I don't even have to land a hit!_ Feeling a bit better, I discard the spear and form my own _Chrono Stasis_ in my palms before pushing off at him again. We flash around each other in midair, both inches away each time from capturing one another. But then, something occurs to me. "Wait! Wait! Time out!"

"What?" Julius pauses, staring at me blankly.

"Maybe we should both avoid _Chrono Stasis..._ A few times there, we nearly caught each other at the same time. If we did that, how would we get out?"

"Hmm..." Julius taps his chin. "I would assume that being stuck in the globe renders your external spells useless... so my _Chrono Stasis_ on you would instantly disappear, and vice versa... or not... I would suggest an experiment, but we should really have Asta here just in case both of us do get trapped."

I giggle a little at the image. "That would be pretty funny..."

"I know, right?" Julius grins, stretching one of his arms across his chest. "Well... I guess you'll have to capture me another way. I'll keep using my own spells, thank you very much."

"Ah, that's not fair!"

"I'm the Wizard King, my word is law."

"Oh yeah? We'll see..."

And it begins again. I catch up more quickly this time, my movements speeding up. I can feel blood trickling out of my nose, but it's not nearly as bad as it used to be. I really am getting stronger, it seems. "Watch out!" I warn, swinging my spear as I think I've finally cornered him. However, Julius simply raises his hand and blasts the spear into smithereens with a precisely placed attack. "Hmm, better luck next time." He shoots up at me, arms spread, and I let out a strangled shriek before zooming away from him as fast as he can. I can hear him cackling to himself, enthralled by the chase. _God... I don't remember the last time I had so much fun..._

But now I have an idea. I loop around in midair, summoning the spear again. _This time... now!_ I do the same thing as before, pointing it down at him while the attack charges in the tip. Julius smirks, thinking he's got me, but pauses as I start to float up away from him. _He thinks it's a feint... but it's not. This is my attack! The spell I've yet to use for you, Julius._

" _Mana Zone... Solar Blitz, Overdrive!"_

All at once, I feel my own mana connect with the magic hanging in the air around us, concentrating until it's in every particle of the night. _Julius... you're surrounded. Try and dodge this!_ I swing my spear, more of a show than anything, and watch as the mana bursts to life in the form of a million bolts, all around the area, all careening towards Julius. 

"Wow... now _this_ is magic..." Julius smiles to himself, and as soon as it began, it's over. He flashes between the bolts, his afterimage appearing all over the valley, before finally coming back to his original spot. The bolts pound into the ground below, throwing up dirt and dust. _That was impressive... but where is she now-_ He realizes that he can't feel my mana anymore, at least not as strongly as it was before. _Did she run away? Or-_

He looks up just in time for me to drop on him, my arms spread and immediately wrapping around his middle. "Ah!" We both go plummeting back to earth, and Julius uses his magic to pad our fall. We roll to a stop among the dust. When it finally clears, Julius blinks his eyes open to see me sitting on top of him, pinning both of his hands next to his head with nothing but my meager physical strength and a grin on my face.

"...got you!"

He lets out a snort of laughter, shaking his head a little. "I... let you do that."

"Did you?"

"Mmhmm."

I don't let him say anything else, I just lean down and press my lips against his, feeling him reciprocate the kiss eagerly. After a moment, he simply tugs his wrists out of my grasp and wraps his arms around me, one hand gently stroking my hand. We stay like that for a long time, completely alone except for each other.

Eventually, he pulls his head back slightly, his breath hitching. "D-Darling, can we-"

"Yes."

I take in a shuddering breath, then lean down and press my forehead against his. The familiar spark comes right after, and I feel my mark start to glow, burning on my head and into his...

But it doesn't hurt, at least not enough for me to feel. In fact, it feels... good. This feeling, the feeling of sinking into him and him sinking into me, it used to be so scary and painful, but now it just feels natural. At the end of the day, I was blessed with this power, to share my thoughts, my life, my magic, and my _everything_ with him. And he shared everything with me. 

_He's literally my other half..._

_Sometimes, I feel like I married a goddess._

_I love you._

A long time later, we finally break apart, flying home arm and arm. Both of us are dusty and dirty from our little fight (which left quite a bit of damage in the valley, actually...). I yawn and flop into bed with my hair still wet, listening as Julius hums happily to himself as he brushes his teeth in the bathroom. But then, my communicator comes to life with a familiar voice. "Mereo? What's going on?"

"Finally, I got through to you... it was just as we expected, the Midnight Sun already had a mole here to listen in on us. We'll be leaving first thing tomorrow."

I gulp at the news, but nod silently. "I see... got it. I'll be there before dawn."

"Before dawn?" Julius asks as he sits next to me. "So soon... well..." His hand comes up to pet through my hair. "Sooner better than later... we can put this all behind us and focus on the future."

"...yeah..." I break into a smile, his words comforting me. Yes, I'm feeling extremely worried about tomorrow. I just feel it in my gut, something's going to go wrong. That hungry pit of dread in my stomach from this morning still hasn't gone away. "I can't wait."

"That reminds me, I've been doing a little research!" Julius's voice brightens, and he crawls over to his bedside table and pulls out his notebook. I watch curiously as he flips through it before presenting me a page with a yearly calendar scrawled onto it. There's various dates and weeks marked down on it. "Owen helped me with this, and everything you told me helped, too... so, _this-"_ He points at a week, approximately a week and a half ago, right after we got married. "Judging from when your cramps came, you should have gotten your period that week. So..." He goes a month further. "You should get to that part of the cycle, or whatever, on this week... SO-" He backtracks about a week. "THIS is when we want to be really trying... I marked it down for each month so we can keep track." He hands the book over for me to inspect. "Let me know if I did anything wrong... I just thought it would be helpful to have a plan."

 _Wow... he's really been thinking about this a lot, hasn't he?_ I can't help but smile to myself, hope welling up in my chest. "Yeah... it helps. I can't believe you actually went and figured all this out!"

Julius laughs nervously, scratching his neck after putting the notebook away. "I don't know... I was just thinking about it lately. I made a promise to you, didn't I?"

I blush a little at the memory before nodding. "Yeah, I remember."

"Good." He leans in to give me another sweet kiss, his lips lingering for a moment longer than he means to. "Do you want to sleep?"

I nod, and he quickly turns off the light before wrapping himself around me like he always does. "Goodnight, darling."

"Goodnight, Julius."

His embrace feels tighter than usual tonight.

* * *

Morning comes before I'm ready. I slip out of bed and silently get dressed, hearing Julius's snores eventually fade as he wakes up as well. He watches me silently as I get ready in the dark, the sun yet to rise. I promised Mereo I would meet her before dawn, after all.

Finally, I'm ready. My heart is pounding a bit in anticipation, but my blood fills my veins with purpose.

_We're going to win... we have to._

"I'll be waiting here, ready to hear from you after it's over," Julius tells me as we walk through the hallway, a little slower than we mean to. "I doubt I'll get much work done today..."

"That's alright. I'll be back to help you again soon enough." I slow to a stop as we reach my turn. I don't really want to let go of his hand, so we stand there in silence for a few seconds, not a single peep through the whole castle.

"...I'm going to be late-"

"I know."

Julius lets go, only for a moment, before wrapping his arms around me tightly. I squeeze my eyes shut and bury my face in his robe, inhaling his familiar scent, memorizing it for the day to come. Finally, he pulls back to look down at me with his beautiful eyes, looking concerned, a little scared... but also hopeful.

"If you die... I'll never forgive you."

"I'm not going to die!" I scold lightly, managing a little smile. "It'll be over before you know it."

"Right." Julius leans down, surprisingly going for my cheek instead of my lips. He presses that last kiss into my skin before stepping back, his eyes lingering on my face. 

"Good luck... I love you."

"I love you too, Julius." 

I give him one last wave before turning and running off, his eyes not leaving me until I disappear from sight.

And so begins the longest day of my life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time! Chapter 89: the floating stones. The Royal Knights begin their attack on the Eye of the Midnight Sun.


	89. the floating stones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter lengths are going to be a bit inconsistent from now on lol

The squad is quiet as we travel. I know a lot of them must be tired, after being told to leave on such short notice and to get up so early. Asta lets out a loud, thunderous yawn, earning a knock on the head from Mereoleona. I stifle a laugh with the others, but it does nothing to ease the dread laying thickly in the pit of my gut.

_Some of us might die today..._

These comrades, some of them I've known for years, and some only a few months. The past and the future, all gathered here in one place to defeat our enemy.

 _I won't let any of them die._ I clench my fist at the thought, feeling resolute. _I'll protect them... I'm supposed to be their leader now, right? A leader protects her people, and that's what I'm going to do. We'll get out of this alive, and defeat the Eye of the Midnight Sun for the whole kingdom!_

Finally, we stealthily approach the large lake, where many of the floating _Gravito Stones_ are located. "That's the one." Nozel points up at a particularly large one. I came here long ago with Mereoleona, but we didn't visit that particular dungeon. "Their base is in that dungeon."

"Amazing, you managed to figure that out," Mereoleona compliments snidely.

Nozel rolls his eyes before turning to Siren. "Can you cast your spell from here?"

"Yes." Siren quickly raises his hands and casts _Stone Model of the Word,_ conjuring a perfect model of the base for us all to see. "Yikes... looks like a nightmare inside there," I comment, eyeing the maze-like catacombs. "Looks like there's a strong magical signature there in the middle."

"That's probably the leader," Mereo adds. "I see... well, the smartest thing to do is to break into groups."

"I'm fine with anyone, as long as I don't end up with the shrimp," Zora sneers, glancing at Asta, who immediately objects.

"ENOUGH! You two problem-children will be with ME!" Mereoleona roars at them before turning back to me. "You should partner with Rill. If the two of you encounter Licht, I'm sure you'll be able to take him out together."

I nod eagerly, shooting a grin over at the young Captain. "I agree..." I remember how powerful Rill's painting magic was at the exam, and I'm sure that, together, we would defeat Licht. "Listen, everyone.... I fought Licht by myself before, and almost won. He has a few trump-cards up his sleeve if he gets pushed into a bad situation, so I advise that you finish him as quickly as possible. I played with him for too long, and that was my downfall." I close my eyes for a moment at the memory, before opening them again to smile out at the squad, _my_ squad. "I think that any one of these teams can take them down."

"I don't care what you do when you're inside... just go wild, if that's what it takes to defeat this enemy!" Mereoleona adds, her voice strengthening the already excited atmosphere.

"These are the same enemies that took out Fuegoleon, kidnapped me, and hurt so many people across the kingdom." I clench my fist, and for the first time, I'm relishing the feeling of all their eyes on me.

"Do whatever it takes to make them pay!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

And with that, we take off into our groups, heading for all different entrances to the dungeon. My team consists of me, Rill, Puli, and my old squadmate Ruben. Rill casts a spell and we blast into one of the outer rooms, already casting spells to attack those within. "Watch out! Magic Knights!"

But, just a few seconds later, all the white-cloaked terrorists fall as we knock them out. "Look at that, easy!" Puli rubs her hands together excitedly, her feathers from her Wing Magic still swirling through the air. "Let's keep going!"

"Of course." I crack my knuckles, my heart pounding as we turn to face the dark passageway ahead.

We run for a while, encountering many enemies along the way. Luckily, none of them are very powerful and are easily disposed of. But soon, mana ripples through the dungeon, shaking the ground and causing us to skid to a stop. "That magic... that's Mereoleona!" Rill exclaims, his eyes widening. "It's somewhere below us."

I nod slowly. "And she's fighting..." I concentrate, before realizing where I know this other magic. "That's Rhya! The Copy magic user." I can't help but grin. "Mereoleona will take care of him, surely... I can't wait to hear what she thought of him!" I shake my head before looking forward again. "Come on, onward-"

"ACH!"

I whirl around, my eyes widening when I see Ruben roll away, sharp stones sticking out of his shoulder. "Ruben!" I cry out, making to run at him. _Shit! If only I could use_ Chrono Anastasis _on my own, I could heal him,_ I think, starting to feel frantic. We'll be catching up to Mimosa soon anyway, but what I'm really worried about is what attacked him. I pick up on magic behind me, and turn just in time to see a Midnight Sun mage jump behind Rill.

"Rill, watch out!"

Rill barely manages to dodge the next attack, sharp stones piercing the ground all around him. The enemy mage cackles, easily tearing through one of Rill's painted creations with a wave of more shards. "It's useless! You magic knights will never invade this base!"

With an angry cry, I draw my spear, letting _Sun God's Leap_ manifest around me, and shoot right at the mage. His eyes widen, caught completely off guard by my speed. I charge up an acceleration attack in the tip of my spear, fully prepared to kill this man for injuring Ruben. 

"Tell that to God!"

At least, that's what I try to say.

The enemy doesn't cast a spell. He doesn't even move from the spot he's petrified in. But something hits me, hard.

_Ah... OW!_

The pain catches me completely off-guard. It's hot, searing hot, and burns right into my body like it's nothing. My eyes widen at the feeling, and I'm unable to do anything at all but feel it pierce through my heart.

_... what?_

_This magic-_

I can't even see anything, but I'm falling.

_It hurts... it hurts..._

_I'm sorry._

I fall, down into darkness, all sensation in my body fading away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time... chapter 90: the final blow. Something strange is happening, but MC doesn't even get a moment to figure it out before all Hell breaks loose.


	90. the final blow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh shit oh fuck... :((

He snores... That's weird. I wouldn't expect someone like him to.

_Wind ripples through the meadow, the grass flowing like water. A butterfly flies delicately through the breeze, looking like it could be blown away into oblivion at any instant._

There's a storm coming, soon.

 _I turn my gaze to the grey sky, letting out a sigh through my nose before looking back down at the sleeping man beside me._ For goodness sakes... he follows me all the way out here, then doesn't even try to enjoy my company. He sleeps so much! _But for some reason, I can't help but smile stupidly._ He's so cute... I never thought I'd find a human like this... 

_Lumiere is a pretty man. His blonde hair looks soft, and I know he has bright blue eyes behind his eyelids. I can never get enough of looking at him, but I can't bear for him to look at me. My smile fades as I remember what everyone tells me, that I should just tell Lumiere how I feel. He's nice enough that he wouldn't be mean about rejecting me, but if he said yes..._

But that can never happen, not now...

_I flop back down into the grass, tears pricking at the edges of my eyes._

Lumeire... why?

WHY?!

_It hurts, it hurts so much-_

My senses rock back into me as I slam back into the ground. A strangled, pained cry is ripped from my lungs, filled with fear and panic. _Fuck! FUCK! He just shot something through my heart, I'm dead, I'm going to die-_

Someone calls my name, and I hear the fight raging on around me. I stare blankly at the ceiling, my hands shaking violently. _Come on... hold on..._

_I'm sorry..._

My body starts to glow blue, familiar runes wrapping around my body. _Good... please..._ But the pain doesn't go away. The magic stutters, flickering dangerously. It's weak, on it's last legs...

It's dying.

_Please... see this to the end for me._

I lift my head with difficulty to inspect my body. My eyes widen when I realize that no attack has hit me. I'm not skewered through my heart. I'm still in one piece.

_Then... what on earth hurts so much?_

The pain is still bleeding through my body, and I start to get dizzy as if I were bleeding out onto the ground. My head falls back, a little harder than is probably safe, and I have no choice to stare at the ceiling as it spins around and around.

But, there's no ceiling. It's only the sky, stained with the waning blood of the day, orange across the black night. A few stars are peeking out now, stars that I may never be able to see again.

... _I don't get it... why do I feel like I'm dying?_

_It's too early... there was so much left to do..._

Something chokes in my throat. I think it's blood, but it's just a dry sob.

_I'm sorry..._

_But, I'm so glad-_

_I'm glad I got to love you._

My senses deaden. I don't remember who I was, but all I know is that I'm dead.

... _I don't understand..._

_Why-_

Suddenly, it's over. As soon as it ended, my life begins again, quite literally. I open my eyes once again to see Rill and Puli hovering over me. "Hey! Are you alright?"

I wince as his words ring loudly between my ears. "Y-Yeah..." Slowly, with some help, I sit up, still shaken from the memory of my pain. "That rock mage-"

"He's done." Rill gestures over at his unconscious body. "And Ruben's okay." I look over to see him squatting nearby, brushing himself off. _Good... they're all okay._ With a sigh, I shake my head. "That was weird... it was like an invisible attack suddenly hit me, and-"

My words catch in my throat as a new, unpleasant emotion washes over me. Rill blinks and says something, but I can't hear over the roar of this feeling.

_It hurts... it hurts..._

It's emptiness. Pure, untainted emptiness.

_But... how?_

I feel tears in my eyes now, threatening to spill out.

_Keep it together! I'm supposed to be a leader, don't cry, no matter what just happened-_

Before anything else can happen, Rill, Ruben, Puli, and I suddenly burst into a bright white glow, engulfing our bodies. "What?! What's this?" Puli stands up, looking around. Her eyes widen as she sees the body of that Stone mage wither up into a black pile of ash. "Rill? Captain?"

My hands are shaking again as I watch, my mind becoming fuzzy once again, but in a different way. Something's happening, something bad. "Guys, someone's attacking us," I say, wincing as I move to kneel. "We should keep going... get away from-"

Before I finish, the light grows brighter, and everything fades away.

_"You should go to sleep, human. I'll be taking this body now."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh!!!~ Next time, Chapter 91! The Golden Dawn. Saida awakes, facing a slew of enemies before she can join her friends.


	91. the golden dawn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! MC's gone! *insert crab rave song here.* Things are getting intense and I hope I can do this final climax justice...

... _ow, ow, ow..._

Why am I so sore? Wait, why can I feel anything at all? I thought I died... or something like that. I don't quite remember.

I get a chill down my spine as I open my eyes. There's a light in front of me, beckoning me forward. I can see the past reflected in it, but also the future. The attack... I feel sadness welling up inside me, but also indescribable anger. It's almost unnatural.

_Well... so that's what happened?_

"Stop!"

I freeze at the sound of someone's voice. Slowly, I turn around to see a human kneeling on the ground behind me. The first thing to hit me is the realization that she looks exactly like me, except her ears are normal, her hair is different, and she has a strange mark on her forehead. _That mark... that's the same one my father had on his hand..._

_So... I'm being reincarnated now, right? What a wonderful opportunity to take our revenge. I'll have to thank whoever is responsible for this... but this girl..._

"... You should go back to sleep, human. I'll be taking this body now."

The girl's eyes widen at the words, confusion and fear flashing through her face. "...wait... y-you're an elf?"

_Curious... she knew?_

"...yes. Our mana is the same, so I'm being reincarnated. As soon as we reach the city, your soul will pass onto the next. So go back to sleep."

I turn away to keep walking towards the light, but another scream halts my progress. "I won't let you! I'm not ready to die!"

_I'm not ready to die._

For a brief moment, I feel pity for the poor creature behind me.

_No... she may be half-simulcian, but she's still a human. She's descended from traitorous scum..._

"Accept your fate, human. You saw your sin, didn't you?"

Slowly, I close my eyes, our consciousnesses melding together for a brief moment. _This isn't a normal human... she has powers that even I don't understand. But not only that..._ _She was loved, very dearly, by many people, but most of all by one man..._

His image is fuzzy. But somehow, I feel like he's in this room with me.

"You've climbed so high. You achieved everything you dreamed of. You've experienced a fulfilling life. But you'll meet the same fate as the rest of the Clover kingdom." I close my eyes and turn back towards the light, and I don't stop this time even when she screams.

_"Farewell."_

...

...

...

A brief moment of darkness, and I open my eyes once again. "Well... would you look at that!" I wiggle my fingers, delighted to feel the sensation. "Now... where am I?" I start to sit up, but wince and fall right back down. "Ouch!? What the heck?"

"Oh, Saida, you woke up."

I look around, my eyes widening when I recognize the person squatting next to me. "Rossa? Wow... long time no see." I prop myself up on an elbow, sucking in a breath. "Yikes, this body could be a little better..."

"I think it was wounded just before you woke up," Rossa explains. "Mine was, too. Lira was with us a moment ago, but he ran off to go help Rhya... apparently he's fighting someone already."

"Fighting? So, there's other humans here?" I smile at the thought. "...perfect." The thought of seeing Rhya again is kind of strange. We weren't really friends, but I confided secrets to him, and we also teamed up to torment Patri a bit. Speaking of Patri, I wonder if he's here, too... I'm sure he would be "delighted" to see me. I start to feel a little sentimental, but the feeling is drowned out by a sudden surge of anger. "No fair... Lira and Rhya are going to start killing humans without me. Also..." I tilt my head, picking up on strange mana. "Is that... Licht, too?"

His familiar, warm mana pulses through this area like a heartbeat. Slow, steady, trustworthy. "He probably knows what's going on... he was hurt more than any of us, after all." I shake my head before finally managing to get to my feet. "For god's sake, this human wasn't really powerful, was she? I thought she would be better, but her mana's all weak right now."

"She might just be tires. I'm sure you'll figure it out." Rossa rises up as well. "I think I'll go join Lira and Rhya."

"Alright. I'll find Licht and ask what's happening." I shoot Rossa a grin. "See you later, loser!"

"... you're as nice as ever."

With a snicker, I turn and sprint off down the passageway, curious as to what lies ahead. It's strange that this body is kind of a dud, and the human's memories are muddled. _I think something kind of traumatic happened to her just moments before I awoke. Well, it doesn't matter now. But, was she a Simulcian, too? She had that mark. I'll have to find a mirror or something-_

I turn the corner and suddenly come face to face with two people. They're both men, both wearing the same outfit. One of them is tall, scrawny, with a thin face, long hair, and glasses. The other has silver hair pulled to the front in a hideous braid. _What on earth are Human's thinking?_

"Oh, it's you," the silver-haired one starts to say, but then he cuts off when he sees the red spiral marks by my eyes and my long ears. "You've got to be kidding me," he mutters, his grimoire glowing.

 _Uh oh! My first enemy! I'm not fully recovered, either! Not like I have a choice!_ My new grimoire opens up, and I summon flame around my hand. To my surprise, it's blue, not red like I used to have. Interesting. "Take this, human-"

My yell is muffled as a thick silver substance suddenly appears and engulfs me. I scream and struggle, trying to kick my legs and flail my arms. _Shit! It was that easy to get caught?! What a disgrace! Let me go!_

"Good grief... let's get out of here. At least we caught one."

Nozel watches as I slowly pass out in his iron, well, mercury grip, a look of concern passing over his features before following En out of the base.

 _What on earth happened to you... no, what's happening to_ everyone?

* * *

_"We should head back to the Capitol immediately. Apperently there's traitors there, too."_

_"Although, they might not be traitors... it seems like they're being controlled by something all of the sudden."_

_"Yeah, they would never act like this otherwise."_

I can hear people speaking nearby as I slowly start to wake up. I have enough awareness to stay silent and appear sleeping so I can listen in. I feel grass underneath me, and from the sound of insects, we're probably in a forest somewhere.

_"Either way, we don't have time to worry about them. The Eye of the Midnight Sun's base is already moving towards the center of the kingdom. We have to save whoever's left... even if that means killing our own comrades."_

_"Nozel... you can't kill her!"_

_"What are we going to do, lug her all the way along with us?"_

_"Nozel! She's our comrade! Whatever's happening, she's not doing it herself. There must be a way to save them."_

_"If it's a spell... maybe I can get rid of it with my sword!"_

The _she_ the humans are referring to is definitely me, and I feel my heart jolt at the idea of either being killed or pushed out of this body. _NO! I can leave now... I just woke up. We need to win, I need to win!_

Suddenly, mana surges through me, concentrated in a spot on my forehead. It catches me off-guard, and I let out a scream as all the magic comes out at once in one huge blast. I open my eyes as I jump up, suddenly extremely invigorated. _This magic... I guess this body had some good mana in it after all!_ My explosion sent up dust and dirt everywhere, a perfect screen to escape. _I'll be back to kill you, humans!_

With that, I summon a flight spell, one that forms little wings around my body. One pair out of my ankles, another from my elbows, and then one more bursts to life from around my neck. _Yeek! I've never flown before, but how hard can it be?_ I push of the ground and shoot away as fast as I can, leaving the humans behind for now. "Wowie!" I can help but laugh as I fly, the wind blowing through my hair and these weird robes I'm wearing. _This power is great... can I go faster-_

As soon as the thought passes through my mind, I suddenly accelerate forward, way too fast. "Ahh!" I let out a shriek and quickly lose balance, starting to pelt towards the ground. "Whoa, whoa, slow down, slow down!" Something right above my eyes is glowing bright, making it hard to see. I blink, looking at my body, and realize that there's some sort of weird runes spinning around me like the rings of a planet, roman numerals emblazoned on them. _What the Hell? I thought I had flame magic-_

I land on my feet, skidding a little before coming to a stop. I should be far enough away now, but I need to meet up with the others. _The humans said that we were headed towards the center of the kingdom... the capitol? I should go there. But first..._ I walk over to a nearby puddle of water, leaning over and gasping. There, right in the middle of my forehead, is a symbol just like my father had. _Look at that... so, this human is a hybrid, too, but she was able to manifest the simulcian magic that I never could._

My father explained it to me only once, long ago. Simulcians had the power to amplify their own mana by tapping into the power of a Dyad. The Dyad is two people, sharing their mana and consciousness in an eternal loop. That loop exists even after they break apart. _So... I wonder..._ I rub the mark, remembering the weird spell I just used. _That magic... that's someone else's magic. This human formed a Dyad with someone very powerful, and now I have their powers as well._ I straighten up and hold out my hand, forming a new spell. A long shaft, crackling with blue fire, consolidates there, narrowing into a pointed tip. _A spear..? No..._

 _This spell is called_ Blazing Spear, _but it's not a spear, is it. It's the hand of a clock._ _Then..._

I hold out another hand, and a new spear appears. It's shorter and stouter than the other. _A minute hand and an hour hand! How clever!_ I chuckle to myself before forming my little wings again. _This should be fun... I can't wait to explore these powers a little more._

With that last thought, I take off once again, heading towards the capitol city where we will finally take our revenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time! Chapter 92- the shadow palace. The elves rush to the capitol to open up the shadow palace and cement themselves in their bodies forever.


	92. the shadow palace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elf hijinks elf hijinks
> 
> Patri: Hello-  
> Saida: bitch  
> Patri: ... huh?  
> Saida : Bitch :))

This kingdom really is beautiful, even with the human scum spreading themselves all over it. _Soon, though, they'll all be gone. We'll retake this world and make it beautiful again._

...

...

...

_"I want this world to be a beautiful place."_

_"Hmm?" I didn't expect him to say something right now, especially since I thought he was sleeping. I look over to see Lumiere's bright blue eyes staring up at the sky. "Isn't this world already beautiful, though?"_

_He lets out a light laugh. It's so subtle, but somehow it forces my heart to do a somersault._

_"Yes, it is... out here, with you, it feels like nothing is wrong. But..." He shakes his head slowly, his smile fading. "It needs work. I want all humans to get along with the elves, not just me. There's too much animosity now... but I have a plan." Lumiere turns to look at me, his eyes closing as he smiles, too cute for this world._

_"Thank you, Saida, for letting me talk your ear off."_

_..._

_..._

_..._

_Thank you... my ass!_

I clench my fist as I fly, anger swelling up inside me. I'm known for having a bit of a rocky temper, but this is rage unlike anything I've felt before.

 _That bastard! His plan was to kill us all, right? And he even made me_ feel _something for him... pathetic! I'm pathetic._

I start to fly faster, spotting a big, floating rock up in the distance. 

_I'll never be pathetic again... I'll make the whole world burn before I feel anything again!_

Before long, I reach the rock, which resonates with elvish mana. This is it, finally, I've reached the others after that unfortunate little detour. Filled with excitement, I slow down and skid to a stop on one of the top entrances, drawing the attention of some others. "Saida? There you are!" 

"I hope you didn't miss me too much!" I give them a wave as a couple of them walk over to crowd around me. Most of them look like they've already changed into different clothes than the weird robes I'm wearing. There's a lot of familiar faces, too, although many of them have differently colored hair or slightly different facial features than before, due to their new human hosts. Hopefully they will get used to it soon, although I already have some teasing ammunition. "I ran into one of the humans and he snatched me, but I managed to escape. Luckily, this human was a lot more powerful than I could have imagined..."

"Now, now, don't get a big head, Saida." I look over to see none other than Rhya walking over, a smug yet relieved look on his face. "It's good to see you, though. We actually tried to revive you earlier, but it didn't quite work, if you don't mind."

I raise an eyebrow at this information. "You were awake before now? So... _you_ were the one who planned all this?!"

Before Rhya can answer, a familiar voice speaks up behind me.

"No... I was."

I turn around to see Licht standing there. "Oh! Of course it was you, Licht..." My voice trails off as I start to realize that the person standing behind me is _not_ Licht... this mana...

"P-P-P-PATRI?!?"

I cover my mouth to keep from laughing as Patri glares at me imprudently. "Yes, it was me! Stop laughing!"

"Sorry, sorry, it's just-" I exchange a glance with Rhya, who is laughing at the situation as well. " _YOU_ were the one who planned this out? And why on earth are you in Licht's body?! You finally got your chance to be close to Licht, I see~" 

"Shut up!" Patri balls up his fist. "This isn't the time, Saida. Yes, I orchestrated all this. Licht is standing right over there (although he's still asleep), and he's the one that cast the reincarnation spell. I woke up early, so I had to gather all the sacrifices and magic stones to make this all work. Me being born in this body was a sign."

"A sign? Yeah, alright." I look over at where he pointed, to see the real Licht standing there, staring out at the city below blankly. There's smoke and fire among the buildings, and the castle comes closer and closer each moment. "This place has changed a lot... are you sure we'll be able to approach the castle at all? We don't know how many high-level mages they might have..."

"It doesn't matter. The current Wizard King is dead. I killed him."

I blink slowly, looking over at Patri. Then, my brow furrows.

"... _you_ killed him? How? You aren't even 15 yet... that reminds me-" I point at him accusingly. "How on earth do you look older than me now?! I was 20, you were 14-"

Patri smirks to himself. "I told you, I woke up early, then lived in this body for 11 years. I'm technically 26... so is your human, but she stopped aging at age 20 because of her Simulcian magic."

My eyes widen as he speaks, then I whip over to look at Rhya. "You told him?!"

"It had to be shared," Rhya says apologetically. "When we caught your human before, she had weird powers, and after doing research we found out that she was a hybrid, just like you."

"I never suspected that you weren't fully elf... but I guess that doesn't matter now." Patri shakes his head before looking out over the city once again. "Saida... you must have noticed that you have new powers, right?"

My anger quells, and I give him a nod as I join his side. "Yeah... I have two types of magic now. This human performed an ancient Simulcian spell that allowed her to meld her consciousness and mana with another person, so I have their magic here as well..." I raise my hand and do a little demonstration, blue runes appearing around my fire. "...do you know this magic?"

Patri's eyes narrow as he sees my magic, then nods slowly. "Yes... I noticed it from the first time I fought this human. She had the exact same mana as one particular man..." For some reason, he let's out a chuckle. "What a coincidence, Saida... even as a human, you fell for a Wizard King. But Julius Novachrono actually liked you back this time..."

It takes a moment for his meaning to finally sink in, and I nearly faint from the realization. "...you're KIDDING!" I step back from Patri, something welling up inside me. "The Wizard King? This magic is-"

"It's time magic. But that's not all he shared with you, I'm sure you can assume."

 _So... that man I saw in this human's memories... that was the current Wizard King?_ Flashes of his face become clearer in my mind, juxtapositioned with my own memories of Lumiere. A strange, forgotten longing tightens in my chest. _What does this mean? This human, this body-_

The thought almost makes me want to vomit from anger and frustration, but luckily Rhya steps in and grabs my shoulder. "Like Patri said, it doesn't matter now, he's dead." For once, Rhya seems sort of serious. Patri rolls his eyes before looking back at the approaching castle. "Even though you fell in love with our murderer, I trust that you'll be of help in this fight."

"...I didn't fall in love with him," I reply quietly, anger starting to swell like a typhoon. For once, it's not directed at Patri. "He betrayed and killed us all. I won't rest until every last one of his descendants is dead."

I don't notice it, but a flicker of guilt passes through Rhya's eyes, as if he knows something we don't,

"...good." Patri smiles a little, the mean mirth in his eyes dissipating. "It's good to see you again, Saida... I'm looking forward to catching up after this."

"...me too, Patri."

"Saida!"

I turn around once again just in time to get someone thrown into my arms. "Ah!" I stumble back before looking down, my eyes lighting up as I see who it is. "Fana!? And-"

"Hey." Vetto appears as well, giving a little wave. "Rhya, we just returned from getting our Grimoires."

"Excellent! Now that all the Apostles of Sephira are here..." Patri rubs his hands together. "We can begin. It's time to open the shadow palace."

The shadow palace is a secret magical space underneath the Clover Castle, sealed there long ago. It contains an ancient structure, where one room contains a place for the final magic stone. Once in place, our reincarnations will be complete, and the human inside me will finally die. I assume Patri has the stone already, so all we have to do is open up the gateway. So, above the chaos below, we cast our spell together, breaking apart the human's facade of a castle, letting the dark fortress come forth. A golden, flashing light bursts to life in the middle, the gateway inside. "Alright, that's the entrance. Everyone, follow me." Patri turns to look back at me. "You want to come, too? I'm sure the humans will want to follow us in there."

"Fine." I crack my knuckles once in anticipation. I didn't get a chance to change out of these human robes, but I don't really care at this point. I just want some blood on my hands. "Do you need a lift?"

"NO, thank you very much." Patri pouts before zipping off with his own magic. I chuckle and follow, sailing across the sky until we disappear into the palace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time! Chapter 93: the end. MC accepts her fate. At least she's not alone.


	93. the end

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Crying in da club rn.
> 
> You might want to reread the very first chapter if you are confused at where this one picks up.

_Will this be all my life has amounted to? Or will I have to start over with nothing, once again..._

The longer I lay there in the dark, the more sure I become that this is it. I'm going to die. I can only feel short flashes of whatever's going on outside, but the elf in control of my body seems to be quite fine with the plan to end all humans. Is she going to kill my friends and comrades with her own hands? With _my_ own hands?

_If she does... I deserve to die. I was weak. This could have been prevented._

The only thing keeping me from spiraling down into despair is Julius, his arms wrapped around me as he holds onto me, the last shred of his will before he, too, is forced to move on. But he promised me, that if I died, he would go with me, hand in hand. That doesn't sound so bad... it sounds better than returning to life without him, after all. But even now, he holds me, comforting me silently. Mereoleona told me once that a leader's job is to pull others out of the pit of despair, and that's exactly what he's doing.

"So..." I finally speak again, my tears still thick in my throat. "...what happened..?"

Julius tenses up at the question, then shakes his head softly. "I'm still in shock... but..." He squeezes his eyes shut before speaking again. "William and Licht were sharing a body. William got me alone, then let Licht come out to fight me."

"... oh god..." My eyes widen, flashes of my conversations with William playing through my head. He started to seem so distant recently, and acted super strange. There were probably other warning signs that I missed. "...why would William do that? Was he just a traitor?"

"No... he was in pain." Julius lets out a sigh. "He was torn between two friends, and in the end he let himself retreat so we could figure it out ourselves."

"...but... that doesn't make sense. How on earth did you lose to Licht?" It would be so easy for Julius to kill him, I know it. Yeah, he's fast, but Julius can manipulate time. 

Julius's silence is telling.

"You weren't... trying to kill him, were you?"

"No." The reply is soft, almost inaudible.

 _... Julius..._ I start to feel more tears in my eyes as I go through all the scenarios that could have ended in his victory, with him still alive. But Julius's weakness is the love he holds for everyone, including William. He couldn't bring himself to kill his friend, even if his life depended on it. But even then, he wasn't able to capture Licht? Before I can ask, Julius answers.

"Licht had a spell that would have killed almost everyone. I used up all my magic to stop it, and he managed to land a final blow."

_... it would have killed almost everyone?_

_So, you traded your life?_

I almost start to feel angry, and my hand balls up into a fist in the front of his shirt. _Julius! You bastard... you would really die to save everyone?! You'd throw our future away for that?_ The worst, most selfish part of me rears its head for an instant, screaming that it doesn't matter if everyone died, at least I would still have him, and he would still have me.

_But... he's not mine, is he?_

"You were never mine..."

The words feel numb in my mouth. Julius looks down at me, confused. More hot tears streak down my face.

"Maybe I was yours... but you never could have belonged to me. You belong to everyone, you have to love everyone..."

His weakness isn't his love. It's that he is who he is. I fell in love with the Wizard King, a man who would never be mine, no matter how many times I thought he would be.

And now, it hurts more that I could have ever imagined.

"Darling... look at me."

I blink through the tears, and realize that his hands are around my face, his thumbs stroking my skin softly. I want nothing more than to pull away, to scream _liar_ at him over and over again for all the broken promises, but I can't move. I'm weak. I'm tired. And I'm afraid.

But through the tears, I can see his smile, the same gentle smile that always soothes me, even now at the very end. 

"My love... I assure you... I was always completely _yours."_

I almost shake my head, because how could that be true?

"And how could I not be... you're a goddess. I could never bear to be away from you. I'm the Wizard King, yes, but I couldn't do it without you. Every moment I spent with you was the best moment of my life. I love you more than anything on this earth... and I love you more than I loved our Kingdom."

...

_At the end of the day... Julius is just a man. A powerful man... but a man none the less. A man who can love, a man who can fear, and a man who can die. He's just flesh and blood, bone and skin... just like every man in this world._

"...what about your Swallowtail?"

It's something Julius didn't tell me about until recently. Apparently I'm the only one that actually knows about it other than him. It's an ancient magical device that can store up magic, and Julius has been putting his own time in there for years. it's supposed to activate in case he dies, but...

"I don't think it's going to work. My death was supposed to trigger it. It was a long shot, anyway..."

"...I'm sorry..." I finally reach up to touch his face, relishing his features for what feels like the last time. "I wish- I wish things had turned out differently..."

"So do I, but that should be obvious, right?" Julius chuckles, and miraculously I do as well. "But this isn't the time to regret... yes, there's things I'll never be able to experience with you now." His arms pull me in again as I start to cry. "There was a lot I wanted to do. But, you know-" He pulls back, his eyes twinkling comfortingly. "There's always the next life, right?"

_The next life..._

"Things might be different. We could be completely different people, but I promised you something, right?"

"... _you'll always find me."_ I manage to smile. "Right... and I'll find you."

"Good." He leans down, his lips pressing against mine. Even here in the land between life and death, they're soft yet solid... _real._

"I love you Julius... I always will."

"I love you too... I always have."

The two of us curl up again in silence, awaiting the inevitable end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time! Chapter 94: the prince. Saida continues to fight within the shadow palace, running into a boy who seems to recognize her body.


	94. the prince

The inside of the shadow palace finally comes into focus, halls and chambers of dark stone as far as the eye can see. "You should stay down here," Patri tells me, pausing as the other Apostles fly off towards their own areas. "There's one more piece of this puzzle that's yet to come, and I need to you handle it."

"Oh? And what could that be?" I raise an eyebrow, curious.

"The final magic stone. It's currently in the possession of one of us... kind of." Patri gulps awkwardly. "He... managed to break the reincarnation spell right away, but I think the stone will pull him here. Once he's here, you need to either take the stone from him or lead him to me in the middle chamber."

"I don't like taking orders from _you,_ but fine." I sigh and shake my head. "For goodness sakes, I have to do everything for you even now..."

Patri pouts at me before letting out a rattling sigh. "At least some things never change..."

With that, he finally leaves, leaving me alone to kick rocks around and wait for whoever this last guy is. _Maybe Patri's wrong, maybe he won't even show up. He really should have taken the stone earlier to prepare for this! I could have planned this operation out so much better, for sure... maybe I should have been the first one to be woken up! Things would have happened a lot more efficiently, anyway!_ If my body was really someone close to the Wizard King, I could have used that to my advantage. _Well, it doesn't matter now, anyway._

I feel flashes of mana far off in other parts of the fortress, barely enough for me to notice. _There's other battles going on now... I hope the others will be okay._ With a deep exhale, I fall back against the wall and slide down to the ground, drawing my knees up to rest under my knee. I hold out my hand, palm up, letting my fire form into a small, concentrated ball. The blue color is still alien to me, something curious that must be another result of the Simulcian magic. _... I wonder how much you know about all this, human. If you were Simulcian, you shouldn't have involved yourself in this human Kingdom. Although, you had to, or else I wouldn't be here now. So many strange coincidences between the two of us... not only are we connected by our simulcian blood, but by the Wizard King as well? I'm glad you got to live a happy life with him, at least... I would say I'm jealous..._

I clench my fist, the blue fire disappearing.

_But maybe your King wasn't a murderer. I hope you'll be happy together in the next life._

But curiosity overtakes me soon enough. I close my eyes, focusing on the small, human soul still barely hanging on inside me. I saw flashes of her memories before, but nothing more than fuzzy images and warm feelings. Still, I can't make out his face.

_Oh well. Not that it matters._

"Hey."

I look up at the sound of a male voice to see someone standing nearby. It's a boy, with black hair and golden eyes, with the clear long ears of an elf. He's wearing the same human robes as me. But there's something wrong... there's an elf soul inside him, but it's asleep. _This boy... he's the one with the stone._

"Finally, you're here." With a smile, I stand up to my full height. "You're the one I've been waiting for... can I have that magic stone?"

He frowns skeptically. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Huh. Well, let me beat you, and I'll show you," I tell him, wiggling my fingers excitedly.

"Not a chance." He holds up his hand, his Grimoire glowing green. I notice for the first time, a small, green pixie floating around his shoulders. _Is that a spirit? Is that Sylph?!_ I had only heard of her in legend, but now she was right here. "The owner of that body could have beaten me, but you won't."

I let out a chuckle, my own Grimoire starting to glow. "Really? Why don't we test that theory, then?"

Without another word, the two "spears" appear in my hands and I shoot forward towards the boy. He jumps out of the way easily with a grunt, but I speed up to keep right behind him. _He's pretty fast... go ahead, attack me!_

And he does. With a wave of his hand and a breath from his Sylph, a powerful gale of wind blasts me nearly out of the air. My eyes widen at the feeling of the mana around me as I quickly regain balance and shoot out of the way. _This magic... wind magic... so familiar..._

Before I have a chance to figure it out, he's coming back with a flurry of sickle-like attacks formed from thin air. With as much speed and precision as I can, I jump around each of them, making my way back towards the boy. I don't want to harm him too badly, since he's supposedly carrying a soul of one of my friends, but it's unavoidable if I'm to obtain the magic stone. Unless there's some other way...

More wind whips around me, and this time it catches me off guard. "Ah!" I get blasted back into the wall, harder than is probably safe. I feel it crack from the force, and I let out a cry of pain. _OUch!_ I crack open an eye to see the boy heading towards me to land a final blow, something to knock me out. _Not yet! I have to have something that'll get me out of this situation... maybe..._

_If I can speed up time..._

With one last yell, I plant my foot on the wall, a blue glow emanating around my whole boy, the now-familiar time magic coming out. _There! And now-_ I push off as hard as I can, feeling the wind start to go back the same way it came, right back at his user. I glance back at the wall and see that, whatever this spell is, it's causing the cracks to close up. _Time Reversal! Excellent!_ Allowing myself to retrace my steps, I summon my spears again, preparing for impact. With a determined yell, the boy refuses to back off and manages to deflect my attack, zooming away as fast as he can.

_Ah! He's good... too good. His agility reminds me of Licht-_

Then, it hits me.

_The soul inside that boy's body..._

_Is that the child Tetia was carrying? Is he our Prince?_

It would make sense, but it's still a bit shocking to realize. But I don't have time to dwell on it. The boy is quickly escaping, and I formulate a new plan as I zoom off after him.

"Come back here, kid! I'm not done!"

"No way!" He evades my attack, simply dodging. Of course, I'm not trying to hit him... with each spell, I deflect his course the way I want it to go, up higher and higher towards the center of the fortress... right into...

"Ha ha! Got you!"

We both pelt into a large open chamber, skidding to a stop on the ground. The boy looks up, surprised to see three elves in this room, gathered around a pedestal in the center. They turn around to see me grinning at them. "Patri, Rhya, Ronne... I got him here."

"Thank you, Saida." Patri smiles as they walk towards us slowly. "You didn't go too hard on him, did you?"

"No... I could have, though." I grin and hold out my hands. The skin suddenly starts to glow blue, runes encircling my arms. "This time magic is amazing... not only can I use it to speed it up, but I can reverse it as well..."

Patri's eyes widen, Rhya nods slowly, and Ronne just cocks his head curiously. He was never one for words, after all. "I've never felt this much power in my life... but now it's in my hands, where it belongs, not in the hands of the human's Wizard King." I release the spell and the glow disappears.

"...well done..." Patri smiles before turning to look at the boy. "Now... you have something we want. Saida, would you like to stay and watch us finish the spell?"

A grin grows back on my face. "Yes, of cour-"

"No."

We all look over as Ronne finally speaks up softly. "Hmm? Spit it out, Ronne." I cross my arms and glare at him, wanting him to at least elaborate if he's going to object.

Ronne gulps nervously before his easy smile finds its way back on his face, his eyes hidden under his hair. "This place is still full of the enemy... you're probably best equipped to deal with them."

"Hmm, good point." Patri nods. "I'm sorry... but he's right."

"Ah, it's not big deal." I shrug and wave goodbye before letting my flight spell form again. "See you guys in a bit... I'm gonna go kill some humans."

And with that, I fly off into the fortress once again, listening and feeling for any large flares of mana. Somewhere below, I feel Fana's magic in fierce battle with someone else. _We've always worked well together... but I'm sure I can clean up quickly, though._ Maybe this new power is going to my head, amplified by the overwhelming malice that's welling up within me. I can hardly hear my own thoughts over its roar. 

Finally, I drop down into a cavern, my eyes widening when I see Fana. "Hey! W-What's with your outfit?" I quickly avert my eyes, blushing. 

"Oh, I accidentally got my top blown off!" Fana smiles cheerfully and waves, not worried about the fact that she's completely topless. "Come on, help me kill this human! She's royalty?"

"Royalty?"

I look down to see the girl. She has pretty silver hair pulled up into two ponytails, and has some sort of water spell around her body like armor. Her eyes widen when she sees me. "y-You?!" she stutters, recognition passing through her gaze.

"You don't know me," I respond coldly, charging up two attacks in my hands. 

_I'm going to finish this quickly..._

_This girl is_ his _decedent. The one who killed us all. The one who played with my heart._

"My name is Saida. Die, Royal."

I start to open my hand, but something happens that none of us expect.

A chill passes through the fortress, freezing us all in our tracks. It's mana, but unlike anything I've ever felt before. It's unearthly, deadly, scary, stomach-turning... every negative emotion I know of passes through my body over the course of a couple seconds. _T-This magic..._ My eyes widen as I look up towards Fana. There's only one thing I can think of, from real life and from legend, that could possibly give off this aura.

_... don't tell me... this is a devil?!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh, now there's a devil somewhere?! Saida isn't sure what to do, that is, not until someone she long forgot shows up. Next time! Chapter 95: the guiding light.


	95. the guiding light

"W-what on earth?"

I look over to see Fana staring up towards the source of the magic, a look of fear on her face unlike anything I've seen before. "That magic... that's a devil!"

"But how!?" I land on a ledge, glancing back down at the royal girl below. "D-Do we keep fighting her?"

"I'm not sure..."

"Ka-Ka, I don't really know what's going on, but it seems like there's some people worth slicing up here!"

We both look down to see a pale, scrawny man with long limbs and black hair jump into the room, gleefully swinging his bladed magic. "Ah! Hold on!" I quickly jump out of the way, glancing up at the ceiling as something rumbles through the fortress. "If there's a devil here, that means something is wrong... Patri's a fool, but he's not going to just go ahead and summon the fucking _devil_ here."

"Agreed." Fana dodges another attack. "We should stay down here... I'm sure Patri and Licht can handle it."

It doesn't make sense, why a devil would be involved in any of this. From the legends I've been told, they live in some sort of underworld separated from our own. They have great power, but rarely make it onto earth. I've heard other myths of some sort of magical gateway that can be constructed to let them in. Is that what's happening now? For all I can tell, it's just one devil, not a whole bunch. 

_Dammit! If only Ronne wasn't so quick to send me away, I might have been able to fight that devil! Maybe I can leave now..._

_Wait..._

_If Ronne wasn't so quick to send me away..._

I stare grimly out at nothing as I mechanically dodge the attacks coming my way, not bothering to retaliate.

_Was there a devil hiding among us this whole time?_

_How long was it here?_

A stronger rumble rips through the fortress, sending us all flying. "Ah! Fana, I'm starting to think that we should try and escape... or at least find the others-"

"AHHH!" Fana points at something above me. "Look out!"

I look up to see some sort of horrible, black substance leaking- no- _pouring_ into our chamber. "Eek! That's the devil's magic!" I start to fly up, but there's no where to go.

"Hey!" I hear someone yell, and look down to see the Royal girl yelling up at me. "Use _Chrono Stasis!"_

I blink, confused. "What? What's that?"

"A time spell! I've seen you use it before... you can stop time!"

My eyes blow wide open at this fun fact. "I can _WHAT?!"_

This is news. But it makes sense... this magic lets me speed up and reverse time, so stopping it should be pretty easy, right? The spell isn't in my Grimoire, so in a last ditch effort to avoid getting swallowed up by the devil's magic, I hold up both my hands. _"Chrono Stasis!"_

Just like I was told, a round globe appears, surrounding some of the devil magic. Unfortunately, it starts to spill around the globe and keep falling towards us. _Ahhh! More!_ I grit my teeth and will the globe to grow larger, which it starts to do with some difficulty, taking in more and more of the magic. It's enough to keep it from falling on us, and soon the surge passes around us and drains out the bottom. "Whew... that was close." I release the spell, the magic inside getting dissolved away in time. "What do we do now-"

Before I finish my sentence, Fana and I suddenly start glowing, a beam of light coming down from somewhere above. "Ah! This isn't devil magic, though-" Fana says, startled, as the aura engulfs the two humans as well. It's warm and comforting, reliable...

"Oh... this is Licht's mana!" I say, a smile growing on my face. "He must have woken up, finally... I bet he and the others are fighting the devil right about now!"

Fana's eyes widen. "Not just Licht, though... this is a combo spell... it's..."

I frown, but then it hits me.

_This... it's light magic. Not just any light magic..._

* * *

_"AHHH!" I basically jump out of my skin and scoot back a couple feet from the man who was just inches away. "Y-You can't just sneak up on people like that, even if you're a Prince! Especially me, I'll burn your hair off, you know!"_

_"Oops! Sorry, I didn't expect you to be so sound asleep," Lumeire apologizes with a laugh. "And anyway, maybe I'll take you up on that offer, I need a haircut anyway."_

Grrr, how does he always manage to be so charming?! _I think to myself, avoiding his gaze as I pout. "Well? What do you want?"_

_"I don't want anything, I just thought it would be nice to see you."_

_I look back over at him incredulously. "Me? When you have Licht and all the others to see? Don't be ridiculous."_

_"Well, I guess I_ am _pretty ridiculous, in that case." Lumiere sighs, looking around the meadow that I've made my hiding spot for the day. He always manages to come find me when he visits, even though I am very actively trying to avoid spending much time with him alone. My feelings are out of control already!_

_"I don't understand humans sometimes," I mutter, letting out a breath as I collapse back onto the soft grass. I can hear a stream somewhere out of sight, adding to the relaxing atmosphere. "But you surprised me... I never thought one of them would be nice enough to try and be my friend."_

_"Why wouldn't I? You're interesting." I hear the grass shift as Lumiere plops down beside me. I look up to see him staring down at me with those big blue eyes. "I feel like you have secrets... or at least, you're hiding a part of yourself from the world. I want to learn everything there is to know about you~"_

_I suck in a breath and quickly roll over on my side so he can't see my face as I blush furiously. "Lumiere! You can't just say that kind of stuff out loud!"_

_"Huh? What do you mean?" I glance back to see him grinning, which doesn't help._

_"Stop looking at me like that!"_

_"Like what?"_

_"Like... l-like_ that, _you know?"_

_"Elaborate."_

_Gah! If he keeps this up, I'm going to end up doing something I regret, whether that be murder or a love confession. However, once he starts to laugh, I can't help but laugh along as well. I catch my breath, my blush subsiding to just a pink dust on my pale cheeks. With a sigh, I sit up, and notice that the same pink is on Lumiere's face._

Maybe... maybe this is the time. It feels right...

_"Lumiere?"_

_"Yes, Saida?"_

_"... I was wondering... well, not wondering, I guess- er-" Fuck, why do I have to be so awkward! He's human, I shouldn't be getting so nervous. "Well... I wanted to tell you-"_

_"Prince?"_

_We both look over to see none other than Secre, Lumiere's servant/assistant, standing there, peering at us curiously. "Secre! What do you need?"_

_"You promised your parents you'd be back for dinner. Tetia is waiting," Secre reminds him, her eyes flickering over to me. I look away._

_"Ah, that's right. I better go... but-" He turns to look at me again. "What was it you wanted to tell me?"_

_The moment is gone._

_"...I'll tell you later. See you at the wedding!"_

_"Right, see you!"_

_I watch as the two of them go, and I can't help but smile._

Right... after the wedding, I'm going to tell him...

I love you, Lumiere.

* * *

"...Lumiere."

In one brief moment, everything makes sense. All the malice in my body melts away, warmed by the soft, guiding light that holds me in its embrace.

_No... a kind, gentle man like Lumiere would never do what we thought he did._

_The humans... they were controlled, manipulated._

_Lumiere did everything he could to save us, but he was too late..._

_He's just a man, isn't he?_

"Saida?!"

I don't really hear Fana's voice as I lift off again, blindly flying towards the light. My heart is pounding.

_Lumiere... if you're really here..._

_I'm going to fight beside you!_

I don't make it very far. 

"Dark magic: Dark blunt blade!"

Something hits me in the side, sending me tumbling back to earth. "Ah! What the-" I sit up, only to find myself face-to-blade with a long, sharp sword. Slowly, I look up to see two people standing over me. One is an elf, Charla. And the other is a huge, muscular man. He looks different than the other humans, and has a cigarette clenched between his teeth. Slowly, he shakes his head at me, as if he's disappointed.

"Pathetic... I expected more of you, Creepy Forehead Elf Girl."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH BOY. Next time: the one I once loved.


	96. the one I once loved

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said before, I feel like the chapter lengths are being inconsistent, I just cut it off when I feel like the chapter is complete no matter how long/short it is lol. This is an... emotional chapter. Not the last emotional chapter, though!!

"Who the Hell are you? Why- Get that thing out of my face!" I bat the sword away before shakily getting back to my feet. "Look, I don't need any trouble-"

"Oi, shut up and listen." The man lowers his sword but shoves a finger in my face instead. "I can't let you keep going. That body belongs to a friend of mine, and that devil is going to destroy it if I let you go."

"Huh? No way!" I glare up at him, balling up my fists. "Do you have any idea how powerful I am?! I'm gonna go-"

"Kick that devil's ass?" He finishes my sentence before I can. "No way. Your Ki tells me that you're more emotionally unstable than anyone else here."

"Huh?! How dare you- Charla!" I turn to who I believe to be my ally in this situation. "Can you talk some sense into this man?"

"It's impossible," Charla replies bluntly, brushing a strand of blonde hair out of her face. "However... I hate to admit it, but Yami's right."

I don't even know what to say. Part of me wants to just blast past them both and head on up, but another part of me wants to listen. I bring myself to look up into this Yami's grey eyes, and I'm not prepared to see what dwells within them. He looks... tired. And almost pained. It's not that _he's_ in pain though. As he looks at me, there's pity in his eyes. Regret. _Guilt._ His teeth clench tighter around the cigarette in his mouth.

_This man... is a friend?_

He is. The human inside me knows him well. For many many years, they fought alongside each other. They laughed together. They argued. But they were always by each other's sides.

_But... this pain..._

"Listen." Yami's voice suddenly lowers and becomes considerably softer, as if he's talking to a scared child. _But that's not right... I'm not scared! I'm not..._

"Stay here. We can find a way to fight from below, I know it."

I shake my head weakly, surprised and disturbed by how quickly my resolve has dwindled. "B-But-"

 _Why am I resisting? Why am I listening to him in the first place? I don't know him, but this human trusts him with everything... he_ is _everything. He's everything that she has left._

"But... I want to fight... I want to fight next to the man I love."

Yami lets out a long sigh through his nose. His hands come up and rest on my shoulders. I almost pull away, but there's a comforting warmth to his touch.

"...the man you love is dead. Stay here, and help us finish this."

...

...

...

The fuzzy memories start to come back into focus. I can see his face now. He was tall, holding himself high above all others, both in life and in spirit. He had beautiful purple eyes that twinkled like a thousand uncontrollable stars. His smile was one that could light up the entire world. He was warm, soft, yet so solid at the same time, the most solid, sure man on this earth.

But... he's gone.

Our uncontrollable rage, stoked by the devil himself, tore so much that was good away from this world. The man this human loved with everything she had was gone, and now she has nothing left.

_... I-_

I can feel him here with me. Even now, this man I never even met is holding me.

_I-I'm so sorry..._

_The man I love is dead. The one I once loved... he's gone forever._

Not only have I deprived this woman of the love of her life, but it's not as if I have a future either. The one who tricked the humans into killing us was the devil, not Lumiere. Our rage and anger was misdirected, and now we're no better than the devil himself. It doesn't matter if I go to fight alongside Lumiere now. After this is done, it'll be time for me to die, for good this time. It's the least I can do to atone for what we've done. 

_In all sense of the word... this is the end. It's over._

_And once I'm gone, there will be nothing left... I missed my chance at happiness, and now we've deprived so many people of their own chance..._

This pain is familiar in this body... she's felt it many times before. This human has experienced so many ends and beginnings... she's tired. Over and over, life demands that she starts fresh, with nothing but the bitter memories of the past. Once this is over, she'll have to face that cruel dawn again... with nothing but the memory of _him._ Julius, who was there by her side for so long, through her best and worst days, always a warm pillar of support that would seemingly never crumble. A true leader lifts people out of the pit of their despair, and he was able to do it with just a smile and a few kind words. She got to experience a love that I could have only dreamed of. 

But now...

" _J-Julius..."_

I don't feel the tears on my face until they start to stain Yami's shoulder. He pats my head awkwardly, and I finally reciprocate, letting myself melt into his arms. The arms of my friend.

"Listen." He pulls back and looks down at me. "Let's end it now. Alright, creepy-forehead-elf-girl?"

"...that's a weird nickname..." 

Somehow, I manage to smile, sniffing back a few last tears.

"But... okay. Let's end it."

I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I look up to see Charla smiling at me. "Humans aren't so bad... I guess," she says, earning a small, choked giggle from me. "Come on... I hope you actually have a plan, Yami."

"I do." The man suddenly gets into a powerful stance, raising his blade up. His entire being is filled with concentration. "...he can't be sensing the fight all the way up there..." Charla whispers in disbelief, her eyes widening. "How is that possible?"

"Prickly-elf-queen-" Yami suddenly says, black magic starting to build up in his sword. "Help me aim. You can sense it, right?"

"...alright." Briars form around Yami's katana, steadying it into place. I watch in awe as the immense magical potential continues to build up, more than almost anything I've felt before. This is going to be one Hell of an attack.

"Hey. Forehead girl."

I look over at the sound of my nickname.

"Can you... make this go as fast as possible?"

"...yes." 

I raise my hand, engulfing it in that familiar blue glow. Runes start to spin around the tip of his blade, faster and faster. The magic forces more tears to well up in my throat, burning like mad. _I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry..._ It's so familiar, yet so bittersweet. The man who gave me this magic is dead, and now I'm all that's left.

_...but that's not true, is it?_

I charge up my magic even further, my tears drying.

_I noticed from the moment I entered this body, after all... that feeling in the pit of my stomach isn't dread._

_... even if he's gone... his legacy remains, right?_

_In more ways than one... you can continue his life, right, human?_

_..._

_..._

_..._

_"Time magic-"_

_"And Dark Magic:... Dimension Slash... Equinox."_

His blade has already cut the Devil. The ringing in my ears grows louder and louder.

_... maybe... maybe you'll find hope somewhere._

_I'm sorry._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time, chapter 97: the dawn. The devil is defeated, and the squad heads back up to the surface.


	97. the dawn

An unearthly sound fills the air, and then there was silence. 

_He's dead._

_The devil, they did it._

I let my shoulders slump, the aches and pains throughout my borrowed body suddenly hitting me all at once. "Ah... it's done." My hands drop down to hand by my sides, their blue glow fading away.

"We did it... it's over..." Charla breathes, her eyes fixed on the spot where we felt the devil's presence just disappear. "Interesting... not bad, Yami Sukehiro."

Yami smiles and lowers his katana, but then frowns as he realizes something. "The devil's gone... but his magic is getting closer."

My eyes widen as I pick up the feeling as well. "Shit! Now what?!"

Yami looks around frantically, then his eyes focus in on a spot nearby. "There! There's ki coming from that spot... come on out, Gueldre!"

Charla and I both exchange a glance, neither of us sure what the human is talking about. But a moment later, two men appear from thin air, concealed by a transparency spell. "You got us..." the big, ham-like man states, shaking his head. He's joined by a smaller man with black hair and a long face. "Did you really just defeat that thing?"

"I didn't I just helped. I think someone else had the final blow..." Yami shakes his head before getting serious again. "But you! Turn us all invisible so we don't get killed by that devil's magic!"

Right on cue, a mass of the devil's magic comes careening down over us. Gueldre gasps and quickly re-casts his spell. A moment later, the five of us are transparent, the magic moving right through us as if we weren't there at all. "Perfect..." I grab Charla and Yami's hands. "Let's go!"

Without another second to spare, we start flying up. It's difficult, dragging the two new guests behind us, but before long we burst out into the very top cavern. The devil's aura still hangs in the air, but it's fading quickly in the presence of the mages here. They turn around as we drop in, and a small boy with grey hair's eyes light up. "Captain Yami! Captain Charlotte! And-" He says a name that must belong to my human. "Er, well, the elf versions... you're here! And-" he gasps. "The old purple orcas captain?! AND-" His voice raises even more as he sees Revchi. "That chain guy from who-knows-how-long ago?!"

"Hey! I have a name, you know-"

Before we know it, more and more people are suddenly showing up here, transported by some sort of spatial magic. 

"Saida?"

I look up to see two familiar, identical people descending down towards me, and I break into a grin. "Patri! And- Licht!" He smiles brightly, fully awake now, and reaches out to take my outstretched hand. "It's so good to see you... I had no idea that things would end up this way, though..."

"No one did. But we defeated him, thanks to everyone here." Licht gestures around.

"Oh!" My eyes widen. "That reminds me... is-"

I turn around, just in time for someone to shout my name and slam into me. "Ah!" I almost get bowled right over but manage to stay upright. "Hey! You can't just-" My voice trails off when the person pulls back, and I see his face. His body feels fragile, as if it were made of stone, and his eyes look like they contained two gems. But he's unmistakably...

"Lumiere..."

His smile grows as I say his name. I look around, and spot none other than Secre hanging behind him, floating on a broom alongside the small, loud kid. I give her a smile as well, although a little confused as to why she managed to be here as well. I have so many questions about how this came to be. "Lumiere... how on earth-"

"It's a long story." I notice that his skin is cracking slightly, he really is delicate. "But we should get out of here, before the palace collapses."

"Agreed!" 

Those questions don't need to be answered, after all. Right now... I just want to be here with him, for the little time we have left.

Without another word, Lumiere takes my hand, and the two of us fly out of the door to the outside world, the others right behind. My magic fades away as we pass through the barrier, and it feels like we're falling back down to earth. But it's not scary... I steal another glance at the man next to me, only to find that his gaze was already fixed on me.

_Maybe it's for just this moment... but I'll cherish this._

We all come to a landing on the ruined steps of the castle, to see the war still raging around the kingdom. "We need to tell all the elves what's happening, and then release them," Licht says, his eyes narrowing. "How can we do that..."

"I can." Patri suddenly steps forward. "First, though... we'll have to wake William up."

My breath catches in my chest as I realize what that means. _Patri... and everyone else..._ I glance around at the other elves gathered here. _...This is the end, right? We've caused so much trouble, so now the least we can do is leave this kingdom so it can heal._

The spatial mage, Valtos, produces a grimoire, handing it to Patri, who then turns to look at us all. "...I'll be heading out first." He smiles a little, his eyes lingering on Licht. "Goodbye... everyone..." Then, he turns to the small boy with the sword. "Asta. I'm ready."

We all watch in silence as Asta plants the tip of his sword into Patri's chest, and his body starts to glow. A moment later, something slips out of him... his soul. His body starts to morph, the marks on his face ebbing away, replaced by a dark scar that covers half his head. His blonde hair retreats into a style more short and fluffy. At long last, _William_ opens his eyes, taking everything in.

"...I see..."

Sadness pools in his purple irises, and for a moment, his gaze catches mine. He quickly looks away. Without another word, he turns to the kingdom, casting a beautiful spell. Tree branches grow from his grimoire, spreading over the city as far as the eye can see. _World Tree Magic... that's amazing..._

Licht reaches out, a white glow spreading through the tree. I feel it start to envelope me as well. "There... now... Asta."

Asta, the boy with the power to break this curse, finally steps forward, planting his black sword into the tree.

I look down at my hands, my body starting to tingle. _This is it... already?_ Maybe I should feel afraid, or sad... but I almost feel _at peace._ Well,almost. I look up to see Licht smiling over at me. "Saida... don't you have something left to do?"

My eyes widen at his words, and I hear Rhya let out a low chuckle. _He's right! Wait-_ I quickly whip around to see Lumiere staring at me from behind, his eyes sad. "Saida... I'm sorry it had to be this way, but..." He manages a melancholy smile. "I was so glad to see you again, just one last time... I'm sorry for not protecting you before."

"It's alright." I'm too far away to reach out and touch him, even though I want to . But it's too late. I missed my chance, and now I have no choice but to move on.

_But... that's okay. I'll leave this life, with no regrets._

"Lumiere... I love you."

His eyes widen with surprise, his cheeks instantly turning red. "h-Huh? Saida..."

For some reason, I can't help but burst out laughing. _It's true... he was the_ only _one who didn't know!_ "Thank you, for spending time with me back then. You made me very happy."

I turn away before he can answer, and let my eyes close.

_...it's taking a little longer than I thought..._

Slowly but surely, the world starts to fade away.

_I guess it's only fair. I got to say goodbye..._

_She should, too._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time... Chapter 98: the miracle. The end can also be the beginning. MC makes one last promise.
> 
> "Fun" fact. Chapter 98 was the first scene I imagined for this, and was actually what inspired me to create this whole fic.


	98. the miracle

I've never had a full on mental breakdown in my life. Not until now, at least. I can't really hear anything, I have no idea what words are coming out of my mouth right now. But I can feel it behind me, a burning, bracing light that's gently yet roughly pulling me away, pulling me out of Julius's arms and back into a cruel, cold, empty life. My fists ball up tighter and I shake my head, burning tears pouring from my eyes. Pathetic, painful desperation fills my veins like ice.

_I don't want to go... I can't, I CAN'T!_

"Look at me... darling... shh, shh..."

I can barely hear him, but eventually my vision clears, and his face comes back into focus. He's smiling, but more for my sake than his. He's crying, too.

"Listen... you have to-"

"No!" I shake my head again, holding onto him even tighter than before. "I can't do it, Julius, I can't! You're seriously telling me to go back, to live a whole life without you? I can't!" I descend back into sobs, the only comfort being his arms around me, but even those are gently prying me off of him.

"You _can..._ you can do anything-"

"Shut up!!" I cut him off. "You can't just say stuff like that and think that it's just going to fix everything! Because it's not! Nothing's fixed... nothing..."

My anger subsides as soon as it rears up, and he finally lets his arms snake around me once more, accepting me into his embrace. I let out a shaky sigh, indulging in his warmth.

_Yes... even if there's not even a next life... I can't go back... I can't..._

"You know... a long time ago..." I can feel Julius's voice vibrating low in his chest as he starts to speak again. "Your grandmother told me that we were connected by fate. From the moment we were both alive, to the moment one of us dies." I nod slowly, remembering my grandparents as well. How they died arm in arm, with smiles on their faces. That's how I want this to be... I want to die in Julius's arms, too.

"She told me that you were born because I was. Because I was alive, we were meant to be together from the very beginning. But, you know." I feel his hand caress my face gently, then pull my face up to stare into his beautiful eyes. But within them, there's a silent command, one that I feel in my soul.

_Go._

"That's wrong... you weren't born because I was born. The only reason I was born... was because I was meant to be yours."

He closes his eyes, and his forehead presses against mine gently as his words ring through my mind. 

"You made me a promise, right? A long time ago... but you said you would never give up on yourself ever again."

I almost want to open my mouth and object. _Who cares what I said long ago? You've broken so many of your promises, why should I keep any?_

But I can't find the strength to do so.

"Do it for me. But also... do it for everyone else. They all need you. You won't be alone, I promise."

_...stop..._

_...come on... resist... resist..._

_...why can't I argue any more?_

_I don't want to go, Julius... I don't want to leave you behind..._

Julius leans in, his lips pressing against mine sweetly, the kiss salty from our tears. It lingers for a long time, even as the light strengthens and starts to pry me out of his grasp.

"...Julius..." His name catches in my throat as I pull back, another shot of panic moving through me. "I-I'm scared..."

"I know. I am too. But... I'll be okay. Just promise me that you'll be alright?"

"...I..."

Slowly, I let my hand fall from his face, and his from mine. I stand up, my hands shaking at my sides. I feel like I'm about to weaken again. There's nothing I want to do more than to throw myself back into his arms and plunge us both down into death. Together, like we were always meant to be.

_But... he's right._

Julius stands up too, his sad eyes staring into mine for as long as he's allowed to.

_Those eyes... this is the last time I'll ever look into them, right?_

I wish he would smile. That's the smile that shook my whole world, but only now do I know what it is.

It's a sunset. _He's_ a sunset. A beautiful, blazing display that you shouldn't stare at for too long, but you _have to._ Somehow, I knew it would be fleeting, so I flew as close to him as I could... until he disappeared from this world forever.

Our time together... it was the twilight. And now, I go to face the night alone.

_I need to live._

_But, will I ever love anything as much as I love Julius?_

_He was born because I was going to be..._

_But I was born... because..._

They _need me. Fuegoleon. Mereoleona. Yami. Charlotte. Nozel. William. Marx. Noelle. Mimosa. The Black Bulls. All the magic knights._

_And those two rivals... Asta and Yuno._

_They're all scared and tired. This whole kingdom is._

_Julius is, too. He wants to know that I'm going to be alright._

Am I?

I have to face the night alone... but... I _am_ the night, aren't I?

_You taught me how to love something with every fiber of my being, and now... I'll love the whole kingdom with every ounce of my life._

_Julius..._

I do the only thing I can. I raise my fingers to my chest in one last three-leaf salute, as the light starts to grow. But I don't look away from him, and somehow, from some miracle, I'm able to give him a smile of my own.

"I will become the Wizard King!"

Julius's eyes widen. But then, his lips relax. He smiles at me, a final sunset that burns itself into my memory.

_"Good."_

One last look... and I turn away from him, my robe flaring out, and walk off towards the light, the entire world melting away behind me.

...

...

...

...

It's incredibly bright for a moment, but it fades faster than I thought. I blink, taking in my new surroundings, only to find myself floating in nothingness. But I'm not alone.

"...hello, human."

"...Saida..."

The elf girl smiles a bit, her hand reaching out. I take it, letting her pull herself closer to me.

"I think I owe you an apology..."

"No." I place my other hand on top of hers. "It's alright... I was able to say goodbye."

Guilt flashes through her eyes, but she smiles back. "...good." She leans in, placing a kiss on my forehead, right in the middle of my mark.

"Take care of yourself... but not just that..." 

She smiles cryptically, before letting go and starting to fade away into the next world.

"The life inside you... cherish it."

_... huh?_

Saida is gone before I can ask what she means. _The life... inside me?_

Darkness descends again, but this time, it's comforting. I'm not alone, there's something inside me, more than just the shard of a soul left behind long ago.

_Julius... you bastard._

It's sort of fitting. I was never supposed to be born, and yet I was. And because I was born, Julius was born. And because of the two of us... another miracle has occurred. Maybe it was always meant to happen, maybe it was because the spell wore off, or maybe it's because of the sheer force of Julius's will.

But there's no denying it now. There's a new life inside me. Despite the tears leaking from my eyes, I curl up around it, my hands cradling it gently as I start to fade back into the world. _Julius... thank you. You kept your promise._

_And now, I've made my promise._

_I'll cherish the legacy you left. I'll cherish the life we created together. And I'll help this Kingdom face its future._

_Thank you... Julius... for everything._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time... chapter 99. The second to last chapter.


	99. the night

...

...

...

_"What were you thinking, Rades?!"_

_"I don't know?!! I just think he shouldn't get to leave so peacefully..."_

_"You're right... thank you. Now I can atone for my sins."_

_"You're the one who shares my sin..."_

Slowly, feeling comes back into my body. Everything hurts, more than I thought it would. I let out a stifled groan, shifting. "Oh! Stay still-"

_That voice..._

Two pairs of arms are supporting me. I slowly blink my eyes open to see two fuzzy, red-haired faces looking down at me with concern. One of their arms is oddly warm, but comfortingly so. They eventually come into focus, and my eyes widen when I recognize the man.

"F-Fuegoleon?"

He's here, alive, awake, and smiling down at me. "It's me... I just woke up tonight. Don't worry, I'm alright."

I feel myself start to tear up again at the sound of his voice. My hand resting on his arm (well, his _real_ arm, the other is made of fire now), weakly squeezes, trying to convey the emotion I'm feeling right now. After all this time, he's awake... one of my oldest friends, one who I thought I had lost, is alive. "I know..." Fuegoleon understands, giving me a strained yet happy smile as he squeezes back. "You'll have to tell me everything that's happened while I was asleep... I'm sorry I was away so long."

"You're the first one to wake up. Charlotte's still out cold," Mereo tells me with a little smile. I nod, then wince as I start to stand back up. "Hey! Stay still, are you trying to pull a muscle-"

I raise my hand, and she falls silent. With difficulty, I regain my balance. She's right, everything aches and I feel more fatigued than I ever had in my life. But these people here around me...

"Hey..."

I look to my side to see Yami there, holding an unconscious Charlotte. He doesn't have a smile on his face, and the lines on his face seem to have gotten deeper since I last saw him. "You okay?"

"... I don't know." I rub my head, blinking to get my bearings. "Is it... over?"

"...yes, it is." Fuego holds my arm as he speaks, helping me stay steady.

"...I see."

I gently pry my arm out of his grasp and take a shaky step forward. My sight raises to the small crowd of people around me. Yuno, Noelle, Mimosa, some people I don't recognize... Nozel's here too, as are the three elves of the third eye, and Patri. _They're still here? Interesting..._ I blink slowly before I see the last person, standing beside Patri.

"...William..."

He looks so tired, yet, his eyes are quivering with a hurricane of emotions. Fear, guilt, regret, panic, all of it flares up as soon as I meet his gaze. He opens his mouth as if to say something, but he just chokes. 

"...hey," Yami tries to grab my attention, but also pauses when I raise my hand. "...you already know?"

"Yes." The answer is simple, soft. My hands are shaking a little now, but I don't feel anything, no anger or sadness. Just... numb.

_William... you killed him._

Finally, William steps forward, his movements almost robotic. He hangs his head, not even able to bring his eyes up to mine. We stand there in silence, with me just staring at him blankly, until he finally chokes out his words.

"I... I'm sorry."

I see a tear drip from his face onto the cracked stone below us.

"I know you'll never forgive me... and no one should-"

"William." I cut him off, my voice strengthened slightly. "...look at me."

He stands there for a moment, like a deer in a headlights, before he finally looks up. As soon as his eyes meet mine once again, my hand suddenly swings up to slap him in the face, as hard as I possibly can without magic. With a strangled cry, he stumbles back and crashes down on his butt, stunned from the gesture but doing nothing to block it.

I clench my fist, ignoring Yami's shout. The trembling in my hands stops, then I point at William accusingly.

"Do you really think you can come begging for pity from me? What did you expect? _Oh, William, you're so pathetic and sad, I forgive you._ It's not that easy! You know what you've done right?"

William blinks, shocked as my voice raises in volume, not a single tear in my eyes. "I-"

"You killed the Wizard King! You might as well have done it with your own hands, too... not only that, you killed the man I love more than anything in this world. And yet, you come to _me_ for pity?" I suck in a breath through my nose. "It's going to take a lot more than crawling on your hands and knees and a few tears to convince me to forgive you. You're pathetic, yes... but you can't be that way now. I won't let you melt into some pathetic puddle that I have to mop up, because that's not who you are, William." I gesture out at the ruined city behind him. "You see that? You did that! And now we have to clean it up. If you want me to forgive you... I need your help."

It takes William a moment to realize that my hand is outstretched to him.

"Come on... you're my friend. So, help me... help me rebuild our Kingdom."

William gulps down his tears, then gives me a silent nod. His hand comes up, to grasp my own, and I finally pull him from his feet.

_This is what leaders do, right? They drag people out of the pit of despair. I'm doing to drag this entire kingdom out with my own two hands!_

I give him a little smile when he finally rises to his feet. "Thank you... now..." I turn to the others, staring silently. They seem almost on edge as they look at me, as if they expect me to crumble into a million little pieces at any moment. But, I'll end up disappointing them on that front. _Everyone here is tired and confused, still. William's not the only broken one... well..._

I'm still unsteady and weak, but there's one more thing I want to do. Slowly, I walk towards them, watching them silently step out of my way as I walk up the stairs. This side of the castle was completely decimated by the shadow palace, reduced to nothing but rubble. But, for some reason, I know what to do. My body remembers the elf's mana, and how she was able to push me past my current limit. I take a deep breath before raising both my hands, which start to glow blue. Familiar runes encircle them, and I feel the shard of a soul pulse within me.

_After all that's happened, all they see right now is a woman who's lost her husband. A woman who is weak and tired. Yes, I'm grieving, and I will for a long time, but there's so much left to be saved. I'll show them what I truly am... I'll prove to them that I'm the one they can rely on. Because, right now, I'm stronger than I've ever been in my entire life!_

_"Time magic... Chrono Anastasis."_

There's no trace of blood in my nose and mouth. As I silently watch my spell form over the rubble, slowly but effortlessly lifting it back into its original place, I feel a tinge of sadness.

_Julius and I... we'll never be able to form our Dyad again._

It was something that started out as painful and scary, but over time, as I grew more powerful and as the two of us grew closer, it became so easy and even beautiful. It's the closest that two people can be, sharing minds, magic, memories, and everything in between. Maybe it was just for those moments, but it was like Julius said: _He was entirely mine._

My hands start to shake again as I finally release my spell once the facade has been repaired. It's not much, but I feel accomplished. I was able to use a power that I hadn't been able to before. Even now, I'm still growing. 

"I can't do it all by myself, though, and I don't know how much longer I'm going to stay standing," I tell them as I turn back around. The sight of that spell seems to have shocked a few of them, but Yami is smiling to himself. _He knows now... I'm alright._ "So, I guess I would appreciate a little help."

"... alright." Fuegoleon exchanges a nod with Mereoleona before following me as I start to walk through again, looking to climb down the ruined stairs and into the city. There's a lot of damage that needs to be repaired after all.

"Wait! I wanted to-"

Patri tries to step forward and say something to me, but honesty I'm not interested in anything he has to say. He falls silent as I simply brush past him.

"Hold, on, Yami-" William turns to look at him, and I pause for just a moment. "I know I have no right to ask... but can you take me to see Julius?"

"...yeah." Yami looks down at me. "...do you want to come?"

_...Julius..._

Slowly, I shake my head. 

"No... I have too much to do. I'll see him later, I'm sure."

The truth is, there's nothing on this earth that I want to do less than to go see Julius's body right now.

"Thanks for the offer.... see you later, Yami."

With one last wave, I turn away and descend back down into the city, readying myself for the monumental path ahead of me.

_This is the end... but that's nothing new. I know what I have to do now. I'll become the Wizard King, Julius, and start building a legacy of my own._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> VERY LAST CHAPTER NEXT TIME!!!!
> 
> Chapter 100: the woman in the woods.


	100. the woman in the woods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it. Over 800 pages. Over 300k words. We have reached the end. I left a note at the bottom of this chapter so be sure to read that. Thank you so much for joining me on this LONG journey... I hope you will stick with me for a few more :)
> 
> Fun fact, today is MC's birthday! September 21st, 2020 :))

_Six Years Later_

This place still hasn't changed, ever since I was a child. It's like it's been frozen in time, not a single second passing. It looks just like it did the day I went on my "date" with Horatio. The days I spent training my magic as a teen. And, of course, the day I met Julius.

Cornflowers symbolize the comings and goings of life in an endless cycle. The beauty of this cruel world around us. They're fragile things, easily stripped by a few movements of a finger. But they always grow back to blanket the stream bank in a rippling sheet of white.

_So beautiful... I'm glad I decided to come back._

"Hey! Ow! P-Please, show some mercy! Cousin!!!"

I turn around to see none other than Lyra running up, her skirts bundled in her hands to keep from tripping, as she runs for dear life from a small girl. The girl laughs merrily to herself as she swings a large stick back and forth, barely missing Lyra each time. "Take that, Spade Wench! _Fire Magic: Blazing Spear!"_

 _Spade Wench?_ I can guess who she's referring too... it's a story she's been told many times. She's a child that was born in the midst of war, after all.

 _"Aieee!"_ Lyra cries out and hides behind me. "Help me!"

I can't help but laugh at the scene, as the two just went ahead and burst into this scene of untold tranquility. I wouldn't have it any other way. "Hey! Julia, what did I tell you about hitting people?"

Julia stops in her tracks and pouts cutely. "You do it all the time!"

"That's my _job,_ and anyway, Cousin Lyra isn't an enemy." I gently take the stick from the 5-year-old and chuck it away into the water. "You'll have plenty of time to beat people up if you decide to become a Magic Knight."

"I will!" Julia balls up her fists and starts running around in a hyper circle, her amethyst eyes twinkling in her face. "Just like you and dad!"

Lyra giggles a little and finally relaxes. "Well, I'm gonna go check on the others. I think mom is almost done with dinner."

"Good! I was starting to get hungry." I give her a thumbs up before she walks off down the path towards town, leaving me alone with my daughter once again.

Julia squats down and starts digging up handfuls of flowers, humming to herself distractedly. "Hey! Don't get your hands all dirty," I quickly intervene and make her stand up again. _Really... she's so much like Julius, it's crazy! Always doing her own thing, letting me pick up after her! I'm supposed to serve the whole kingdom, yet most of the time I end up serving_ her!

Julia moves to the stream, splashing her hands in the water in order to wash them off. I watch carefully, not really eager to dive in to save her if she were to fall. "What do you think of this place? It's where I grew up, you know."

"Wow..." Julia's eyes widen as she takes everything in for the first time. "Pretty... did daddy grow up here, too?"

"No, no, but this is where we met..." I feel a tinge of melancholy in my voice as I remember that day.

_Right here... he returned my grimoire to me._

"Hmm. Okay." That's all Julia says before turning back to the water and attempting to catch a minnow with her bare hands.

My daughter is old enough now to wonder why she doesn't have a father, but not quite old enough to feel sad about it. She never met him, after all, even though Julia is his spitting image.

_I wish you were here now, Julius... I wish you got to meet Julia. That's the name you wanted, right? I like it, it reminds me of you. I think you would have loved her more than you loved me... which is how I would have wanted it._

_I miss you...._

_But because of Julia, I'm not lonely. Well, not_ just _because of her..._

"Yo, are you two going to come back for dinner or not?"

I let out a sigh before turning to see a familiar man standing there, not smoking for once. I told him that he wasn't allowed to smoke around Julia, after all.

"Yamiii~" Julia excitedly straightens up before running right to him, attaching to his leg. "Yami! Yami! Yami!"

"Ew!" Despite the outburst, Yami chuckles, reaching down and picking her up. "You better be hungry... tell your mother to come back to the house, or else I'm going to end up eating _you."_ He growls menacingly and starts to ruffle Julia's already-messy blonde hair.

"Nooo!" Julia giggles before pointing at me. "Mom, come on! We're going to be late for dinner!"

"Seriously, Forehead Girl, you need to keep better track of time," Yami comments with a smirk. "Get it? _Time?_ "

I roll my eyes, but I can't help but smile at the sight of my old friend holding my daughter. I know he owes a debt to Julius as well, part of the reason why he's so attached to Julia now. He, Marx, Mereo, Charlotte, and Fuego all helped me early on, when Julia was first born, and I'll always be grateful for my friends... they're the only ones I had left, back then.

"Bad joke! But fine..." I sigh and start walking over. "By the way, are you ever going to drop that old nickname? I'm starting to get tired of it."

"Bah, I like it."

"Forehead girl!" Julia sticks her tongue out at me.

Yami chuckles before turning to lead me down the path.

"Come on... _your Majesty."_

* * *

_Present Day_

That dream lingers even after I open my eyes to stare up at the ceiling. I feel so sore and fatigued, more than I ever have in my life. _What was even happening... It's hard to remember..._

_Oh!_

I quickly sit up, suddenly becoming aware of my surrounding. I look around to see that I was laying on a mat, in what appears to be a makeshift hospital. There's medical mages everywhere, hard at work. Most of the patients seem to be either nobles or magic knights. Most of the nobles are awake, some of them crying. I hear one of them whine " _my house! My big, beautiful house!"_ I assume most of them have been displaced by the attack. The magic knights all seem to be sleeping, and I recognize some of them. _These knights... they're the ones who were possessed, like me..._

"...you're awake?"

The voice to my left catches my attention, and I look over at the person laying on the mat next to me. The sight of his face nearly makes my heart stop.

"...Marx?"

It feels like a lifetime since I last saw him, but yes, it's him... laying there beside me, looking just as tired as I am. Slowly, he manages to prop himself up, wincing a little. "Ouch, ouch, ouch..." With a sigh, he looks back up at me. "Are you alright? Were you-"

"Yeah, I was affected, too." Marx squeezes his eyes shut, looking frustrated. "Marx, it wasn't your fault... no one here wanted it to happen. It was out of our hands."

Marx opens his eyes again, and I realize that he's crying, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"I-I-" One of his hands balls up the thin blanket that was draped over his body, and he clenches his teeth. "I'm sorry! It happened right in front of me... if I had just snapped out of it and gone to get Owen sooner-"

Seeing my old friend break down like this forces the memories of the past day back onto my shoulders. I managed to avoid this grief for a while, plunging myself headfirst into the repairs and rescues that had to be done. I remember now- I worked without sleep or rest for a whole day, but eventually my mana gave in and I passed out. Fuegoleon or Mereoleona must have brought me here... and now...

"Marx..."

Marx leans into my embrace, and I let my grief out into his shoulder as the two of us clutch at each other tightly... as if we were the only two people left on earth.

...

...

"You're not seriously thinking of going back out there, are you? You need to rest!"

"Owen, you're working again, aren't you?"

It's true, ever since he woke up, Owen got straight back to work, so he really can't do anything but weakly protest as I get up to change my clothes and head back out. "Really, though... you took quite a beating, don't you think you need to take it easy?"

"Absolutely not!" I stretch my arm over my chest to limber it up, knowing that the days ahead are going to be hard. "I need to do this... the Kingdom needs to be repaired."

Owen stares at me for another few seconds before letting out a long breath. "Fine... seriously, though, don't work yourself to death. That wouldn't do the Kingdom any good."

"I know." I turn to look down at Marx, who's still sitting on his mat with a glass of water. "You should stay, though, you look terrible."

"Thanks," Marx replies sarcastically, his eyes still looking a bit red and puffy. "...you really are amazing. After all that's happened..."

"I know. But someone needs to take charge for now at least..." I shake my head a little, dreading the inevitable fallout of Julius's death ahead of us. "I'll do what I can to keep everything together."

"Good..." Marx smiles, looking... content, at least for now. "I think you'll do great... and once I'm back on my feet, I'll do everything in my power to help you."

Despite how hard this is going to be, at least I have friends like Marx. Not only friends, though... I made a promise to Julius, that I would become the Wizard King. It's not going to be easy, and in the process I've instantly created rivals. Fuegoleon, Nozel, William, Leo, Asta, Yuno, and many more, they all want the same thing as me. They may be my friends, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to go easy on them.

_I'm sorry, guys... but I'm going to give it my all._

"Thanks, Marx... oh!" Something occurs to me, and I quickly turn to Owen. "There's something I need you to do..."

Owen blinks, a little confused. "What?"

"...could you run a test real quick?"

I leave before the results of the blood test come back, because I already have a feeling what the result is going to be. Despite my eagerness to get things done, I agreed that I would be back at the hospital for dinner with Marx, and then try to get a good night's sleep. I can't serve the kingdom if I die, after all. 

However, I only get a few hours of work in before someone tracks me down to halt my progress.

"Yami! What now?" I'm admittedly a little on edge right now, and my tone is a little more snappy than intended as I turn and glare at the man walking towards me.

"Sheesh, are you _trying_ to kill yourself?" He comes to a stop and eyes the large, broken rock behind me. It's one of the ones dropped from the floating base, and it crushed a few houses underneath it. Luckily, I've been making short work of it, with a combination of an acceleration spell and _Chrono_ _Stasis._ A small gathering of people has even congregated nearby to watch. "I've been looking for you since yesterday morning... but when I tracked you down you were passed out in the hospital."

_He was looking for me? If this is about Julius's body, I don't really want to know..._

"What is it?"

"... come with me. I don't really know how to explain it..."

I give some instructions to the other Magic Knights helping me before following Yami off towards the castle. My heart clenches a little of the sight of it in daylight. _That's my home... Julius's office is in there. And our room..._ I suddenly feel sadness well up within me at the thought of going back there. His belongings, his books... and all of his clothes in the closet... 

"Hey, stop crying, and keep up!" Yami snaps me out of my stupor in his usual, rude way. I almost want to snap at him again, but I hold my tongue and simply follow as he leads me up into the castle.

"Listen... we have three big problems," Yami begins, clearing his throat awkwardly as we walk through the halls. I study his face carefully. He's avoiding my gaze, and looks very, _very_ preoccupied. There's something bothering him, something I'm about to find out. "Well, _two_ of them are big... the last one is pretty small..."

I raise an eyebrow, my curiosity peaked. "What do you mean? If it's a small problem, it can be handled-"

"No, no, you don't get it..." Yami shakes his head, guiding me up the stairs and through a corridor. I'm not exactly sure where he's taking me, it doesn't seem to be anywhere obvious...

"Anyway, that thing you did last night. It was like-" Yami rubs his chin, and I get the feeling that he's trying to change the subject. "It was a demonstration of power, right? You were trying to show the others that you're strong or some shit, right?"

I frown a bit, not sure where he's going with this. "Yeah... so what if it was?"

Yami pauses for a moment, staring down at me with narrowed eyes. 

"Let me guess... you're going to try to become the Wizard King."

He says it almost accusingly, and I feel my face start to heat up. _No! Don't be embarrassed... I don't know what he's trying to say, but it's_ my _aspiration now._

"Yes... I'm going to become the Wizard King," I reply, banishing my insecurities once more and glaring up at him. "I made a promise... I'll take care of this Kingdom."

Yami, despite his tone before, lets his lips curl into a little smile. His eyes still study me carefully, as if he were sizing me up. "Yikes... don't look at me like that, it's scary. Come on." He turns to keep walking, down some hallway that has a few smaller rooms branching off of it. "That's great and all, honestly... I'd like to see you go head to head with some of those nobles for it. But..." He suddenly stops in front of one of those doors. "It might not be possible."

I stop as well, a little concerned. Yami seems supportive, but what does he know that I don't?

"And... why is that?"

"... see for yourself."

Yami turns and kicks open the door, pushing me inside a little roughly. "Hey! What-" I turn around just in time to see the door get slammed in my face. "Yami!" I let out a sigh, shaking my head. _Some things just don't change..._ Well, I'm here now, so I turn around to see what the Hell Yami was talking about.

At first, it seems like I'm alone, but then I spot someone sitting on a couch nearby. It's a teenage boy, dressed in a little white uniform and a red cape. I frown, not really sure why Yami put me in this room with him. 

It takes the boy a moment to realize he isn't alone, and when his eyes meet mine, they widen instantly.

 _...what's going on here?_ My eyes narrow a little at the sudden spark of recognition I feel within myself. It doesn't add up...

...but then he smiles, his mouth forming two words.

"Y-You're here..."

_... h-huh?_

My heart starts to pound and I feel all color drain from my face. 

_This boy..._

_B-but how... this..._

It's Julius. He's younger, with longer hair and rounder features, but it's Julius.

He's alive. He's in this room with me.

The shock slowly starts to fade, and I take a step forward. Then another. And another. And the next thing I know, I collapse right into his open arms, falling to my knees and burying my face into that euphoric, familiar warmth.

_He's alive... he's holding me..._

Somehow, through some act of fate, he's here to hold me in his arms again. The sheer joy of this moment is something I can't begin to explain... but I feel like my own life has been returned to me alongside him. 

_He's alive!!!_

It's a long time before I have the strength to move again. All I want to do is stay here in this room with him, holding onto him for dear life, and feel his hand stroking my hair.

" _It's alright... I'm here..."_

But eventually, I do sit up again, letting my tear-filled gaze meet his, reaching up to hold the hands that gently cup my face.

"I-I can't believe it..." the whisper comes out hoarse. "But... it worked? The Swallowtail?"

Julius lets out a soft giggle, blinking away the moisture in his own eyes. "Yes, I suppose... I really shouldn't have assumed that it was over so soon..."

We both break out laughing a little at that comment, and I let him pull me onto the couch for another hug. Our fingers weave together just as they've always done, the comfort breaking my heart with sheer joy.

_You're alive..._

"I'm sorry, though..." His tone turns sad for a moment. "It seems like I only had 13 years of time saved up, so I'll be stuck like this for a while-"

"It's alright." I squeeze his hand, leaning my head on his shoulder. It's a little hard, since he's now a bit shorter than me, but it feels right. We still fit together so well. "If it means I have you here with me... I know it'll be alright." I turn my head to look up at him again, relishing this moment. "And anyway... it's not like _I'm_ going to get older..."

"Oh, that's right!" Julius's eyes light up. "In a couple years... we'll look like we're the same age!"

We both burst out laughing again, joy filling up both our hearts. "Right! And that's only if we don't find a way to get you back sooner... I have time magic, too, you know." I grin excitedly, my hands still shaking slightly from the shock of seeing him again. "I can start putting time into the Swallowtail, and then you can use it..."

"Right... but for now, we have a little bit of a problem." Julius suddenly sits up, his eyes turning a bit grim. "Because of my, er- condition... my Grimoire has been reduced to just one page. I basically have no power, and that's going to backfire on me sooner or later..." I wince a little at the thought.

_But... it's alright. Stay calm. He's alive... we're both alive._

"I'll do whatever I can to help you... I'll protect you, don't worry," I assure him, giving him a smile, which he returns. But, that familiar twinkle remains in his eyes. 

"That's great and all... but don't forget-" He winks. "You made me a promise, didn't you? I expect you to keep it."

I open my mouth to say something, but I can't find the words. Part of me feels like I shouldn't try to become Wizard King now. I mean, Julius is alive... how could I?

But at the same time, this realization hasn't made my determination fade at all. It's just as strong as it was when I first made my promise.

"Darling..."

I feel his hand on my cheek again, and I blink a few times to clear my vision. His eyes are shining with adoration, just as they've always done.

"...will you help me?"

Just a couple minutes ago, I thought my life was over. At least, one of my lives. I've lived as a weak girl who was hated by her mother; as a magic knight who happened to be the lover of the Wizard King; as that Wizard King's advisor and later Wife;... now I'm here, as Julius asks me to help him lead this Kingdom into the future. A future that I know will be alright, because the two of us are both alive. Julius may look different now, and we might have a difficult road ahead of us, but he's _mine._ He's still my Julius. I made a promise to him in death, and now I intend to keep it even in life.

Maybe there's a dark night ahead of us, darker than we can imagine right now... but I am the night. And I have Julius by my side. We're a Dyad, after all.

"...always."

I close my eyes as Julius leans up and plants a warm kiss on my forehead, his lips lingering on my skin. But then, my eyes snap open and I pull away, causing him to blink at me in confusion. "Oh! I can't believe I forgot... Julius..."

His confusion only deepens as my smile widens. I take his hand, giving him a silent look that says _trust me._ He nods slowly, allowing me to pull his hand closer. After a moment, it rests, palm down, on my lower stomach. There's nothing to feel- not yet- but the message gets across. Julius's eyes widen tenfold, and his mouth falls open in silent shock.

_And I thought this day couldn't get any better..._

"...I have some big news."

_**The End.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yoooo what?! That's the end! Thank you guys for reading this. Honestly, this was a huge labor of love that I poured everything into. I knew from the beginning where I wanted it to go, but I didn't expect it to take exactly 100 chapters to get here! I started watching Black Clover at the beginning of the summer, and I instantly fell in love with the whole thing. However, one character in particular drew my attention... Julius, of course! :) To my dismay, there was only 1 Julius fic on Ao3, so I knew right then and there that I had to take it into my own hands. So, this fic was born, after a few weeks of brainstorming and planning. The more I wrote, the more I settled into the plot, my style, and the main character. I'd like to think that I inspired others to write their own fics, and now at the end of all of this there are like 10 julius x reader fics hehe. I couldn't have written this whole thing without the constant support, inspiration, and love from my regular readers and comments. You guys kept me going! This is by far the longest work I've ever written oops lol.
> 
> So, what now? Well, I already have another Julius fic in the works (called "illusion," you can find it on my profile!), and I also run a tumblr blog for other BC writings! It's called @one-leaf-grimoire if you want to come check it out! I'm also thinking of writing a short continuation of Dyad... but that wouldn't be until the Spade Kingdom Arc gets a little further. It'll probably be called "Triad" LMAO.
> 
> Well... that's all I really have to say. Once again, thank you all for reading... I'd like to think that I grew a bit as a writer during this whole thing. If you have any final comments/analyses, feel free to leave them down below, I would love to hear them. And hopefully I'll see some of you on Tumblr!
> 
> Thank you all, and see you soon!!!


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